Lord of Caer Azkaban
by Rorschach's Blot
Summary: A letter causes Harry to learn some surprising things about his lineage, a different twist on the usual Harry in Azkaban story line.
1. Inheritance

Disclaimer: I own virtually nothing in this fic, it is all owned by people with more money then me.

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Lord of Caer Azkaban

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_Dear Mr. Potter_

_In accordance to the last will and testament of Sirius Black you are requested and required to present yourself to the Diagon Alley branch of Gringotts Wizarding Bank for the purposes of performing the Inheritance Ritual. Please note that according to Statute 42924A failure to present one's self within two months of the receipt of this letter will result in loss of the right of inheritance and possible forfeiture to the Ministry._

_Sincerely _

_Snaphook, Senior Solicitor Gringotts Bank_

Harry stared dully at the letter in his hand; it had come in just minutes before a post Owl carrying a letter from Dumbledore.

He didn't know what to think, the thought of profiting off of Sirius's death turned his stomach and the thought of walking away from any legacy that Sirius had cared to leave him was equally unpalatable.

After a few moments of contemplation he resolved to write Dumbledore and ask for his counsel since even after all that had happened between them at the end of the school year he did still respect the old Wizard's opinions.

Placing the letter from Gringotts to one side he opened the letter from Dumbledore.

_Dear Harry,_

_It has come to my attention that Gringotts has ignored my urging to leave you in peace this summer and has contacted you in regards to your possible inheritance from Sirius. I am writing this letter to inform you that at this time it is impossible to risk a trip to Diagon Alley. Their will be plenty of time for such things when it is safe but at this time it is not safe even with an escort from the Order. Harry it is imperative that you remain with the Dursleys this summer. I find that I must also inform you that it will be impossible for you to leave their care this summer due to Voldemort's increased activity._

_Sincerely _

_Albus_

_PS _

_You didn't like it when I kept things from you last year so I decided to trust you with this, please don't betray my trust by going off on your own Harry it really is too dangerous. _

Reading the last line of the letter filled Harry with a rage that made his little outburst in Dumbledore's office seem like a minor show of annoyance.

How dare he, Harry was shocked by the audacity shown by the old bastard in his letter by filling a letter about truth with lies one would think that the old man learned nothing about Sirius's death.

Firming his resolve he pushed down his first impulse to send a letter explaining just what he thought of the old wizard's actions and he completed half of his angry reply before logic was able to reassert its control over his actions.

Tearing up his first draft he took out another parchment and started anew, resolving to adopt Dumbledore's own methods in dealing with the old man.

_Dear Albus,_

_Though I am disappointed I cannot help but be heartened by the fact that you have chosen to be honest with me, as you said their will be time for such things when it is safe. With this in mind I have chosen to respect the trust you have placed in me and remain at my present location._

_Your Obedient Servant _

_Harry James Potter _

_PS_

_I understand the necessity of your statement in light of my attitude last year but I feel that I must assure you that I could no more allow myself to betray your trust then you could allow yourself to betray mine. _

Harry smirked, turnabout is fair play and he just wished that he could see the look on Dumbledore's face when he realized the significance of what had been written.

Calming Harry had to admit that in hind sight he had to thank Dumbledore for helping him to make the decision to accept what Sirius had left, without his letter he may have decided to stay at number four.

It took him two days to plan his escape, something that appeared on the surface to be quite difficult but something that he found to be in practice to be painfully simple.

Wizards, he had found relied overly much on their magic, so that while he would never be able to sneak past them under an invisibility cloak his muggle upbringing provided him with other options.

He awoke early and dressed, making sure to be out of the house before his 'Family' could demand that he make them breakfast or do some bit of meaningless busy work.

As he walked to the movie theater he imagined that he could feel the eyes of his invisible watchers, buying a ticket to the soonest show he picked out a spot in the theater and carefully counted to five hundred.

Upon reaching his goal he stood up and walked out of the dark theater towards the bathroom, hearing the steps of his invisible watchers on the tile floor he washed his hands and returned to the dark theater.

Picking a new seat he carefully counted to one thousand, got up and went to the snack bar once again tracking his hidden watchers by the sound of their footsteps.

Returning to the darkened theater he chose yet another seat before beginning his count.

He repeated this cycle five times before he stopped hearing the footsteps of his hidden watcher and he repeated the cycle another three times before he felt confident that they had been lulled into complacency by his routine.

Walking out one of the side exits he took a quick left turn and headed to the nearest tube station figuring that while the Knight Bus or some other means of magical transportation may be monitored and controlled muggle methods would be ignored.

It took him almost an hour to travel the branch line from surrey to the station nearest the Leaky Caldron and before he entered the portal to Diagon Alley he expended the last of his meager savings on a new hat and jacket, picking a Deer Stalker hat (like Sherlock Holmes's hat) and a garish pink jacket with green lace.

Harry figured that his rather odd attire would suggest to any hidden watchers that he was a pure blood wizard that had been out for a stroll in the muggle world.

Taking a deep breath to calm and prepare himself he exhaled and entered the wizarding world.

Somewhat surprised that no one bothered to give him so much as a second glance Harry walked through Diagon Alley to Gringotts.

Pulling down the brim of his hat he approached the nearest free teller. "Excuse me sir but I need to speak with Senior Solicitor Snaphook."

"Of course sir and what may I tell Solicitor Snaphook is your business with him?"

"Tell him that it is a confidential matter involving my inheritance."

"Yes sir, would you care to wait in a private room or stay on the main floor."

"I would prefer a private room please."

"This way sir," the goblin said motioning for Harry to follow.

The room they came too was painted a stark grey, containing only a table and two chairs.

"I shall tell Solicitor Snaphook that you are waiting and he will join you at his earliest free moment, if you desire some reading material to pass the time you need only tap your wand on the table three times and a selection of magazines will appear."

Tapping his wand on the table Harry was slightly surprised at the sheer selection and slightly disappointed to find that the majority of them made 'Witches Weakley' look like a respectable literary journal.

Looking through the stack he despaired at ever finding something to read until at the bottom of the stack he found a magazine with the odd title of 'Modern Combatants' in it he found articles debating the use of one curse verses another, new spells designed especially for combat, and best of all equipment reports.

So engrossed was he in an article on the best of the new combat robes that he did not notice the door open to admit a goblin carrying a small valise.

"Ahem," the Goblin cleared his throat noisily and watched bemused and Harry nearly jumped out of his chair. "I am Solicitor Snaphook; I'm told that you have some business with me."

Wordlessly Harry pushed the letter he had received from Gringotts across the table.

"Ah, Mr. Potter I am glad that you decided to show up," the goblin said with a smile, "quite frankly after that mess with Albus Dumbledore I was afraid that you wouldn't show."

Placing a small crystal decanter on the table the goblin continued, "the reason you are here Mr. Potter is to perform the 'Inheritance Ritual' so that you may claim the Black fortune as stipulated by the last will and testament of Sirius Black."

"How does it work?" Harry asked curiously.

"The way it works is you will be required to place a small sample of your blood into this crystal decanter, you will then hold the decanter allowing it to draw power from your magical core, after the blood turns black you will hand it to me, I will place it on this sheet of parchment and the parchment will record which blood lines you will inherit from."

"If it's based on blood then how will I inherit from the Black family?"Our intrepid hero inquired.

"You were added to the Black register as Heir Primus when Sirius Black became your Godfather and since he died without issue then you became heir to the Black name and fortune." Explained Solicitor Snaphook. "Now if we could start."

Pricking his finger, Harry allowed several drops of blood to fall into the crystal glass before Snaphook was satisfied by the amount.

Picking up the glass Harry was struck by a thought, "Snaphook, if this project requires my magical core to power it then how are Squibs or muggle relatives able to claim their Inheritances?"

"The short answer to that is they are not," pausing as if unsure he should continue. "Curiously, every time Gringotts develops a way to do this ritual that does not require the magical core of the solicitor it is outlawed by the Ministry of Magic, and it is my belief that this ritual is just another tool by the Ministry to insure that non-magic peoples are unable to gain control of the great families."

Handing the glass of now black liquid to his Solicitor, Harry watched in fascination as the goblin placed it on the parchment.

Within minutes the first name began to appear on the parchment, it was soon joined by another and another and another, soon their were twelve names on the parchment and counting.

Finally, after nearly two hours of waiting the twenty fifth and last name burned itself onto the parchment.

"Why so many?" Harry asked in shock. "How can I be the sole heir to so many families?"

"Mr. Potter, You must understand that the last seventy five or so years have not been easy for the magical community, with Grindelwald and Voldemort several families were almost completely destroyed, leaving those with the most tenuous of relations to inherit."

Taking a quick glance at the parchment, Snaphook reached into his valise and withdrew from it a thick file.

"The first name on your list is the Black family; from it you have inherited several properties including a residence at number 12 Grimwald's place, Black Manor, a shop called 'Rare and Unusual Books' in Knockturn Alley, and a pub named 'The Dog Star' outside Hogsmead."

Sorting through the papers the goblin continued "liquid assets are fixed at about 30 million Galleons with one million annual revenue from investments minus a monthly allowance totaling eight thousand Galleons."

"Allowance, to whom?"

"Let me see, three thousand to Narcissa Malfoy and three thousand Belatrix LeStrange, with a further two thousand going to Draco Malfoy."

"Can it be canceled?"

"Of course sir, you are the head of the Black family, if you wish I can revoke it right now." Upon receiving an affirmative gesture the goblin made a note and continued, "the Black family investments include controlling interest in a large casino on the Island of Fata Magana, 25 percent of a silver mine, and controlling interest in a Magical Creature Farm."

Once again reaching into his valise Snaphook pulled out another file. "Your next family if the Potters from whom you inherited a house at Godric's Hollow since destroyed 300 thousand Galleons, and half of a brewery jointly owned by your cousin Martin Potter."

"I have a cousin?"

"Yes sir apparently your great great great grandfather had two sons, one magical one muggle and he divided the Potter family business between them, Martin Potter is the descendent of your great great grandfather's brother."

Reaching into his valise the goblin pulled out a small stack of files, taking a moment to flip through them the goblin continued, "the next twenty two families are rather routine, you receive a total of two million Galleons and several residential properties. The last name though, the last name is different."

"How so?" Harry enquired.

"The last family is quite shocking, it is a very old and honorable name and I can tell you very little about your holdings." At this the venerable goblin paused as if to gather his strength. "The last name on the list is Azkaban, from it you inherit the Island of Azkaban, the title Lord of Caer Azkaban and all the rights and privileges that it entitles."

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AN: I chose to put Harry on the Subway because of the fact that in so many other fics he uses the knight bus or Mrs. Figg's flue, it seemed to me that Dumbledore who is regarded to be one of the greatest wizards of the age, and the Order of the Phoenix who has several members in magical law enforcement, would be able to track such methods of transportation but might have difficulty in tracking a more mundane method. I think that I may have made that last bank scene a bit long but I was trying to convey just how bad the degradations of the Dark Lords were. As for Harry getting so little from the Potters, well I have a hopefully original way of explaining that.

As always, comments are welcome flames are not.


	2. All Hail Lord Azkaban

Disclaimer: Most of the things in this story belong to other people.

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All Hail Lord Azkaban

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"I'm what?" Harry stammered out, the shock hitting him like a physical blow.

"The new Lord of Caer Azkaban," the old goblin responded calmly, "would you like me to contact your retainers?"

"All right," the young savior of the wizarding world said events overtaking him, "what ever you feel is necessary."

A short time later, the crowds around Gringotts Bank looked around in confusion as the sound of hoof beats shattered the morning's silence, none knowing the significance save one a few of the older members of the crowd who all bore a looks of shock.

Moments later with a bang a coach appeared in a manner reminiscent of the Knight Bus, drawn by three teams of odd black horses with manes made of fire and hoofs that threw sparks when the struck the ground.

The carriage its self was colored a deep shade of black so dark that it seemed to absorb the surrounding light and its fittings were all of a highly polished silvery metal the contrast making them appear to be stars on an endless black night.

The door to the carriage was unadorned, it bore no crest, no coat of arms trusting the six horses to announce the identity of its owner, for none but the Lord of Azkaban would dare to use Nightmares as his means of transportation.

Perched on the drivers seat was a single man dressed in clothing as dark as the carriage, drawing sharply on the rains to halt the carriage before the front steps he ceased all motion.

The gathered crowd drew its collective breath as one of the carriage doors began to open; stepping out of it was a young woman, almost a child by modern standards.

Her dark brown hair was drawn up in a business like bun and her dark clothing was a close match to the driver's, clutched in her arms was a large tome, and her manner was so cold as to make some in the watching crowd shiver.

Walking up the stairs to the front doors of Gringotts she looked neither right nor left choosing instead to focus on her goal with a single minded intensity.

"You," she said attracting the attention of the nearest employee as she walked into the lobby, "inform Lord Azkaban that his servants have arrived and await his pleasure."

Nodding his head the red headed man left to inform his superiors of the strange woman and her odd request.

Seeing that her order appeared to have been carried out the woman strode to one side and stood with perfect stillness awaiting the summons of her Lord.

Harry's conversation with the old goblin was interrupted by a discrete knock at the door after a moment a young goblin entered, "Sir." He addressed Snaphook, "one of our human employees was told to inform Lord Azkaban that 'his servants have arrived.'"

"How many?" The older Goblin enquired.

"At present just one sir, a woman what do you wish me to tell them sir?"

"Have them await Lord Azkaban outside of this room so that he can more easily summon them when the need arises." Bowing the younger goblin left the room on his appointed task.

Within minutes the young goblin had returned "Lord Azkaban's servant is awaiting his instructions outside Sir." He said addressing the older goblin, after giving the message he bowed and left the room.

"Shall I have her come in?" the old goblin asked, seeing his client not he walked to the door and motioned for someone unseen to enter.

Walking through the door was a beautiful young woman of about Harry's age; walking towards her he extended his hand. "Hello, I'm Harry Potter" and blinked in surprise at her reaction.

Dropping to her knees the girl kissed his hand, "all hail my Lord Azkaban, long may he rule."

"Umm…ok, what is your name?"

"My name is Rebecca my Lord; I am your personal servant and assistant."

"You don't have to call me Lord, just call me Harry."

"It wouldn't be proper to do so in public my Lord," she said glancing at Snaphook, "though if my Lord wishes I shall do so in private."

"Your Lord wishes," Harry said with a grin, his first genuine grin since the day his God Father died. "Please get up, I have to finish things here then I am going to go shopping."

"Is their any way that I can assist you my lord?" The woman asked hopefully.

"Not unless you know something about inheritance laws and banking standards." Harry said with a grin. "I also need to withdraw a sizeable amount of money to pay for my purchases."

"I can help you with that my Lord," the woman replied somewhat hesitantly. "I can take care of any paperwork you might have and I can quite easily arrange payment for any purchases you might wish to make."

"Excellent," the Gringotts Solicitor smiled, handing the large stack of files to Harry's new assistant. "Now that I am no longer needed I shall leave the room to the two of you, I shall have a goblin waiting for you outside the door to show you the way out."

The departure of Snaphook left the two of them alone; "Umm" Harry said breaking the silence after a few moments, "so what exactly are your duties Rebecca?"

"My duties?" the girl perked up, happy to be back on familiar ground, "my duties are to serve my Lord Azkaban in any way that he desires and to make his life as easy as possible."

"All right." Harry said reasonably, "first things first since we are alone call me Harry, secondly would you mind helping me sort out these files."

"Of course my Lor…Harry I shall look them at once." She said as she began sorting through the stack of files, making the odd notation in her massive book.

Seeing that any aid he could offer would do more to hinder her efforts then help them, Harry turned back to his magazine.

After several minutes he became aware that she had stopped working and was standing silently before him, "yes?" He said turning his attention back to his new assistant.

"I have finished my task Harry, would you like me to do something else?"

"Nothing else to do lets go shopping now, clothing store first I think." He said after looking down at his tattered garments with a grin "after that we shall see."

Leaving the bank, they immediately went to Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to get Harry some new clothing.

Entering the store they were immediately set upon, "Is their anything I can help you with today Sir?" A pretty young sails girl asked the newest Lord Azkaban.

"Yes, please," replied the boy who was a little out of his depth.

"What do you need today Sir?" Asked the sails girl with a smile, clearly enjoying his cluelessness.

"Everything, I think," he responded.

"Would you like Tailored or Rack?" girl asked clearly in her element.

"Tailored."

"All right then follow me to one of our fitting rooms please."

The room was like nothing he had ever seen, it was a great dome with a golden circle inscribed on the pristine white floor.

"Just stand in the center of the circle Sir, and allow me to do the rest."

Walking to the circle, Harry nearly jumped when a bright red ring of light rose from the circle rising to over his head before sinking back down again.

"All right Sir, now that we have your measurements it's time to make your order."

"First of all I would like several sets of Combat Robes made out of your finest Acromantula Silk, I also want them to have the strongest layered protection charms that can be had, and finally I would like any clothing I buy to have self repairing charms and to adjust for any growth I may experience over the next few years."

"Yes Sir, what colors would you like them to be in and would you be needing anything else, something to wear underneath the robes perhaps?"

"Color?" Harry said blankly before Rebecca whispered something into his ear, "Black, and yes I will be needing several sets of clothing to wear under my robes, several in grey out of Acromantula Silk with similar protection charms as the robes, provided that the spells will not interfere with each other… I suppose that I will also be needing a variety of other clothing including Muggle in a variety of different colors."

They spent several minutes picking out Harry's new wardrobe, "Will that be all sir? I could still have charms added to make your robes to make them self ironing or temperature adjusting perhaps."

"Do so, I'm also going to need a hooded cloak or two spelled to make it difficult to see my face Acromantula Silk and so fourth. And, I don't suppose that you have items made of Dragon Hide here do you?"

"Yes Sir," she said making another notation, "and no Sir, we do not have Items made from Dragon Hide, though there is a shop down the alley that can help you called Ollertan's I think."

"How soon can I get my first set of clothing?" Harry inquired, "I was hoping to be able to wear them out of the store."

"That shouldn't be a problem Sir; the rest will be done by the day after tomorrow at the latest, would you prefer pick up or delivery?"

"I'll have someone pick it up," Harry said as his assistant made a notation in her book.

They presented an odd sight as they left Madame Malkkin's, a dangerous looking cloaked figure trailed by a beautiful young woman clutching a large book.

They walked slowly to their next destination, Ollertan's arms and Armor ignoring the stares of the crowd.

Entering the shop they were immediately met by the proprietor, a slim man with a look that suggested motion barley restrained and that he was ready to spring into motion at the slightest provocation.

"What can I help you with?" The man asked with a smile, "we just got in a new order of Antipodean Opaleye hide."

"I'm going to be needing several items, one belt, two pairs of gloves and two pairs of boots all made from the hide of a Norwegian Ridge back, and two Ukrainian Ironbelly vests."

"Anything else Sir?" The man said with a grin, "a wand holster perhaps?"

"Yes," Harry said after a moment of thought. "Two made from Ukrainian Ironbelly, and Becky."

"Yes my Lord?"

"Do you have any Dragon hide armor?"

"No my Lord I do not."

"Be sure to pick up at least a vest while we're here, I want you to be protected," after a moment of thought he added, "feel free to get anything else that catches your eye today I'll pay for everything."

"Thank you my Lord your wisdom is exceeded only by your generosity," turning to the shop keeper, "I would to like to add another vest to my Lord's purchases made out of the Antipodean Opaleye hide you mentioned earlier if possible."

"Sure thing," replied the shopkeeper a bit curious about the 'my Lords,' "if you'll step this way we can get your measurements."

The measurements were considerably slower and more mundane then they had been at Madame Malkin's but after a few minutes the shop keeper had what he needed.

"They'll be a few hours for the first set Sir as dragon hide is a difficult material to work with, would you be wanting any extras?"

"What do you mean?" asked Harry curiously "I thought that you couldn't enchant dragon hide?"

"You can't," the man said with a laugh "but you can enchant the things attached to it, take the wand holsters" he said pulling out his own, "they are enchanted to stick to any part of the body one would wish to place them and the way that we are able to do this is by enchanting this bit" he said turning it over.

Harry looked curiously "I see you aren't enchanting the dragon hide, you're enchanting that bit of silk sewn onto the back."

"Exactly," the man said with a smile, "also those little bits inside to keep the wand secure and prevent it from being taken by a disarming spell and they also allow a large wand to fit on a small forearm, the boots," he said lifting his foot, "have the soles enchanted for durability and self repair."

"Then could you enchant the soles of the boots to leave no impression and to make no sound?" Harry asked remembering how he had eluded his Order provided keeper.

"Yes Sir, do you have any other needs that we can help you with…weapons perhaps."

"Let me think" said Harry thoughtfully "I suppose that I would like to look at your daggers, something functional I think."

"Right you are sir, happy to have a chance to display something other then those gaudy baubles that most people seem to prefer," he said waiving his hands toward the jewel encrusted specimens on display in other parts of the store.

Going behind the counter he brought out a small case inside the case their were four daggers each a plane blade adorned only by a plain black handle. "Only four of them Sir, but they are four of my best each one of them is enchanted to remain sharp and cause triple the damage it would normally and each handle is enchanted to 'stick' to your hand to keep a good grip."

Harry selected a double edged blade of about seven inches, "do you have a sheath for this?"

"Yes Sir, Ukrainian Ironbelly charmed the same way as the wand holster"

"Excellent" Harry said motioning to Rebecca to pay for their purchases, "we'll be back in a few hours to pick up what you have finished."

Their next stop was a jeweler so that Harry could purchase a new watch, entering they were amazed at the number of time pieces on sail.

Their were watches that showed the phases of the moon, watches that held star charts, watches that told you what you should be doing, watches that held tiny mirrors and makeup to check and correct one's appearance, and watches that picked up the Wizard Wireless network.

What their did not appear to be were watches that told time, "excuse me." Harry addressed the man behind the counter, "do you have any watches that tell time like a muggle watch?"

"Tell time like a muggle watch, how mundane," the man seemed to be insulted by the question, "why ever would you want something so boring when you could have something like this?" he asked, picking up a watch that had a sundial on it.

"To tell the time?" Harry ventured uncertainly.

"I can't work in these conditions," the man said with a sniff. "Paul take this customer while I take my break," the man exclaimed while walking through a doorway into a back room.

Paul seemed much more cooperative then the first man had been, "sure I think we got something like that," he answered Harry's question, "let me check the back."

"Here we go, a watch that tells the time." He said, blowing the dust off of an old case. "Course being a wizarding watch it also does a few other things."

"Like what"

"Like the fact that if you talk into it a person wearing one of these earrings can hear what you are saying." Paul said, holding up a small silver ring of metal.

"So if you had two watches and two earrings you could have two way communications between two people?"

"I suppose," the man said uncertainly, "don't think anyone ever thought about using them that way."

"I'll take two then." Harry said after some thought, "one for my self and one for my companion."

"I understand." The man said, shooting him a sly glance. "I was young once too and I'm not so old that I don't remember how important it was to be able to talk to my girlfriend without anyone knowing."

Moving over to another counter he looked down at the rings, "do you have anything with a snake motif?"

"Sure do," the man said pulling out a tray, "most of these are un enchanted, the only magical ones are those three in the corner."

"What do they do?"

"The first two," he said picking up a pair of twin rings "allow you to give a mild electric charge to people you shake hands with, they will then shock the next person that they come into contact with normally it wouldn't be on display except for the exceptional workmanship shown in their manufacture and the quality of their materials. The last one when worn on the ring finger of one hand will allow that hand to 'borrow' the skill of the other hand, eventually allowing it to learn the skills."

"What do you mean?"

"Well assuming that you are right handed, if you wore it on your left hand you would be able to write or use a wand equally well with both hands."

"I'll take all three of them then," Harry said.

Walking out of the jeweler, Harry noticed a sign proclaiming 'Ocular Enhancement' and curious he decided to investigate.

The shop itself was filled with glasses and other sorts of eye wear, seated to one side hunched over a pair of half finished glasses sat a woman that looked a bit familiar.

"Excuse me," he said causing the woman to jump.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear I didn't mean to get so wrapped up in my work that I wouldn't notice a customer," the woman said with a smile. "My name is Marietta Pomphrey how may I help you?"

"Any relation to Poppy Pomphrey?"

"My older sister."

"Ah, I noticed the sign and I was wondering if their was any way to magically fix my eye sight, if not I was hoping that I could get my self a new pair of glasses "

"I'm afraid that the most I could do for your eyes is give them a couple of enhancements to help you see in more colors or to see better in the dark but currently magic isn't precise enough to do that sort of work" she said almost sadly "however I can help you get a new pair of glasses, just pick any pair you like they are all enchanted to be unbreakable and to adjust to the level of correction you need so that you won't have to come in and get new enchantments every few years."

After a few minutes Harry was able to pick out with help from Becky, a stylish pair of wire frame glasses.

"Excuse me Mrs., I've found the ones I like." He said while walking up to her desk "you mentioned something about enhancements?"

"Yes, I have several potions which will give more properties to your eyes, most of them are just cosmetic but two of them can be quite useful; the first one allows you to see more colors of the spectrum like infra red and ultra violet, this also allows you to see through most methods of making oneself invisible, and the second gives you better night sight by slitting your pupils like a cat's. If you would like both they can be safely used together."

"Will these interfere at all with self transfiguration like an anamagus transformation?"

"They shouldn't," the woman said thoughtfully. "Though your pupils would change to match what ever animal form you had when in that form, the other enhancements would stay the same though."

"All right, I'll take both," he said with a grin.

Packaging everything up the woman gave some final instructions, "make sure to have some time to kill when you drink those potions as it will take your body some time to learn how to control it's new senses, if you able to control your ability to see into other spectrum's after three days come back and I'll see what's wrong."

After getting his glasses Harry decided to return to the armor shop to pick up his latest purchases. "Just go into the changing rooms here if you want to wear your purchases out of the store, best to wear the vest as close to skin as possible" the proprietor said with a grin.

Stepping into the back Harry was shocked when Rebecca joined him in the changing room and began to take off her shirt unbothered by his presence, "why aren't you in your own changing room?"

"I am your servant Harry and my duty is to serve you in any way that you might desire so why should I be bothered by you gazing upon my body, after all it does belong to you?"

Face red, Harry faced the stall trying not to think of what was going on behind him.

"Where to next my Lord?" Becky asked curiously.

"Next I would like to visit Flourish & Blotts after that I would like to pay a short visit to Knockturn Alley after that we can go to Caer Azkaban."

"If I may ask my Lord, why do you wish to go to Knockturn Alley?"

"I need another wand, this time without ministry tracking charms and questions asked, I would also like some dark arts books."

"Why not just have one made at Caer Azkaban my Lord?" She asked a bit puzzled, "then you would be sure of both silence and quality."

"I hadn't realized that I could have one made their, thank you for telling me this Becky," after a bit he added, "be sure to tell me of any other things that I can get at Azkaban please."

"Yes my Lord, you do have quite an extensive if a bit outdated library."

"Could you see about getting it updated?"

"If you desire, I could give the manager at Flourish & Blotts a list of what we have and ask him to gather anything else my Lord."

"Do so, thank you Becky."

"I live to serve my Lord."

The shop was much less crowded then the last time Harry had been their, probably because their were no hordes of students and their parents picking up their school books.

Going straight to the defense section he quickly chose a small selection of books, walking next to the cash register he found Rebecca already waiting for him next to a small mountain of boxes.

"Is that how many books I'm missing from my library?"

"Yes my Lord and I took the liberty of giving a standing order for any new books that may come out."

"All right lets have them shrunk before we go," seeing her hesitant look, "what?"

"I did have them shrunk my lord."

"Then how are we going to take them with us?"

"I would suggest that you call your carriage my Lord."

"How do we do that?" he asked somewhat confused.

"When we go outside you raise one of your arms above your head and snap your fingers, it will appear shortly after that my Lord."

Moments after he snapped his fingers, Diagon Alley once again bore witness to the arrival of Lord Azkaban's coach.

Rushing past him, Rebecca opened the carriage door and knelt to the ground "My Lord Azkaban, please allow me to take care of the details of loading your purchases while you rest in the carriage."

Nodding his head, Harry stepped into the carriage.

The interior of the carriage was lush, two benches decked in satin pillows faced each other and in the center between them sat a table and small mini bar.

Harry had only a few minutes to contemplate it alone before the door to the carriage opened to admit his assistant.

"I have overseen the loading of your property and I have instructed the driver to make a stop at Knockturn Alley on his way back to Caer Azkaban" she said as they began to move.

"Thank you Becky." Harry replied as the carriage came to a stop in front of Borgin & Burkes.

Once again his assistant leapt to open the door of his carriage, kneeling on the ground outside.

"You know that you don't have to do that don't you Becky?" he asked, voice colored with amusement.

"I do in front of the crowds my Lord, to do otherwise would not give them the right impression."

For the second time in his life Harry entered the dark arts shop. "You," he addressed the proprietor with a tone of disdain. "Gather up all of the books you have on dark arts, including any you might be saving for 'special' customers"

"And why should I do such a thing for a child?" Borgin replied in a similar tone.

Before Harry could respond Becky erupted. "How dare you speak to my Lord Azkaban in such a manner, show more respect or with my Lord's permission I will tear out the tongue which you have used to show such disrespect."

The change in Borgin's manner was like night to day, paling he immediately took a more conciliatory tone. "I apologies Lord Azkaban, I had not realized who you were and no disrespect was meant towards your station, I will get the items you requested post haste."

Within minutes he returned with several boxes of books trailing behind him, "this is all I currently have in the store Lord Azkaban but I will be sure to inform your servants when I receive more stock."

With a curt nod Harry left the store and returned to his carriage.

On the ride back Harry had a sudden thought, turning to Becky he held up three envelopes, "would you mind posting these for me when we get to Azkaban? If possible I would also like their to be no way of tracing them back to their point of origin."

"I would be happy to do so Harry."

Elsewhere in Surrey, the Order of The Phoenix was beginning to get frantic as their efforts over the last few hours had failed to turn up any trace of the boy who lived.

Dumbledore himself had been looking for Harry since shortly after the end of the movie, sighing in exasperation he turned toward two of his subordinates motioning for them to speak.

Moody went first, "no sign of him in the surrounding area so he must have either found a hiding place so good as to foil our tracking spells or he left."

"No sign of apparation, portkeys, floo, or any other means of transportation." Shackelbolt said obviously torn between pride and annoyance. "Boy must have found a way to confound the charms, and if he's done that without alerting the ministry he must have also found a way to remove the tracking charm on his wand."

Dumbledore was prevented from responding when he felt a disturbance in his office wards, apparating to the edge of the school wards he rushed to his office.

Upon assuring himself that his office was empty, he set about the task of checking his possessions to see if anything had been taken or damaged by the intruder until he noticed a plain white envelope sitting on the center of his desk atop a stack of paperwork.

_Dear Albus,_

_I am afraid that I had to ignore your instructions to retrieve my inheritance but before you get angry I would like to direct your attention to the last line in my previous letter, the line about trust. To explain, I have decided to show you the same amount of trust and respect that you have shown me, none. I would also like to remind you that you are the Headmaster of the school that I am presently attending and should I chose to continue my studies at Hogwarts the school that I will be attending in the future. You are not; my legal guardian, in a position to give me any instructions, a person that has my trust or respect, or in my opinion a person that has my best interests at heart. I hope that you remember these things before attempting to chastise me and that you keep these items in mind in any future interactions. At the present time I expect that I will be seeing you at the beginning of the school year, if my plans change and I chose not to continue at Hogwarts for one reason or another I will notify you by owl or some other means as a courtesy. _

_Sincerely _

_Harry James Potter_

Elsewhere in the den of the Weasleys, Ron noticed a plain white envelope sitting on his bed.

_Dear Ron_

_I'm just writing to let you know that I will be out of touch for a little while until I am able to find a safe way of writing to you, unfortunately this also means that I won't be seeing you at Headquarters or the Burrow. Unless things change I'll see you on the Hogwart's express or at the feast._

_Your Friend _

_Harry_

_PS_

_If you see Remus tell him I'm safe at home. _

At the same time Hermione noticed a cream colored envelope stuck in her copy of 'Hogwarts a History' with her bookmark.

_My Dear Hermione_

_I hope you are doing well, I haven't received my OWL results and I am a bit worried about them, you shouldn't be though I'm sure that you will be at the top of this year and possibly the top of the century even if you aren't I already know that my best friend is the smartest witch ever to have attended Hogwarts. I hope that your summer has been enjoyable so far, mine has been less then stellar but I suppose that that's no surprise. I am sorry for the mess that I dragged you into with the department of mysteries, I am sorry that I didn't listen to you if I had everything would have been ok and Sirius would still be alive, most of all I am sorry that you got hurt I could never forgive myself if anything serious had happened to you and I don't know I would do if I could never see you again. Back to the letter, my summer has been mostly dull until today, today I did something that you may be annoyed by but at least this time I didn't endanger anyone else. Shortly you will be hearing that I have left number four and I am writing to tell you that I have no intention of ever going back. It all started when I received a letter from Gringotts telling me that I had to present myself or forfeit my inheritance, I wasn't sure what to do and I was going to write to Dumbledore and you to ask for advice but before I had a chance another letter arrived. The letter was from Dumbledore and he forbid me from going, telling me that I would have plenty of time when it was safe and that I should stay at the Dursleys. He lied to me about being able to go to the bank then he told me not to betray his trust. I must admit that this made me more then a little angry, it also helped me to make my decision. Later that day I ducked my watchers and collected my inheritance, I also learned some shocking things that I will tell you at a later date. I have no intention of going back to my 'loving family' nor do I have any intention of allowing Dumbledore to control my life. I don't know what to do Hermione, I don't even know if I want to go back to Hogwarts, it's certainly not safe and I don't feel that I am learning what I need to know to survive. I've taken the first steps to gain the knowledge that I need and I think that I have found a safe place to stay but I'm still feeling lost. I wish you were here because you always seem to know the right thing to do, even if I don't always listen to you. I'll be writing you later to keep you updated on what is happening with my life and I would like to request that you keep this confidential, please don't tell Dumbledore that I am even writing anything to you I don't trust him and if he had even an inkling of what you might know I don't know what he would do to find it out._

_Love Always _

_Harry James Potter_

_PS_

_Thank you for being their for me, I am not in a place that I can receiving mail but I will try to find a secure way of getting it soon. _

* * *

AN: The Nightmares I got from several sources, I think the description is based on one from a book I read a few years ago can't remember the title. You may be wondering why I made Harry's Personal Assistant the way that I did, she has been raised since birth to care for and serve the next Lord Azkaban and to do otherwise is unthinkable to her. I based the fitting room on something the US Army is experimenting with to take measurements quickly, though they are using LASERs not Magic and if I remember correctly one cannot be wearing any clothing when they are being scanned. The reason that I used Acromantula Silk as the material for Harry's Combat Robes is because Spider Silk is one of the strongest materials around and clothing made from it would very strong, and I figured that giant magical Spider Silk would be even stronger. As to why Combat Robes rather then Dueling Robes, I think that a duel would be considered a test of skill so armor would be considered 'bad form.' As for why the order was unable to find him, it's because the people searching the area are pure bloods they look for traces of all the complicated magical means of transportation and don't even conceder the muggle means this means that when a pure blood like Shackelbolt said that he checked everything. To my reviewers, thanks.

As always comments are good flames are bad.


	3. The Plot Thickens

Disclaimer: Most of the characters here were created by someone else and do not belong to me.

* * *

The Plot Thickens

* * *

As he read the letter Dumbledore slumped, his posture radiating despair, why couldn't the boy realize that everything he did was for Harry's own safety, was mere money so important as to risk his life?

Dumbledore knew that he had to find Harry and make it clear that it was impossible to live a normal life, to make it clear that life any life no matter how unpleasant was better then the alternative.

Flooing back to headquarters he wasted no time in summoning the Order and as he put out his call; he vowed to himself that he would not fail the child as he had failed the parents, he vowed that Harry would live, he vowed that he would do whatever necessary to safeguard the boy's life no matter the consequences.

Within minutes the first of the Order members begun to appear and one look at the almost broken figure of their leader silenced any questions that they might have had, taking their seats they waited and wondered what could be so terrible as to leave the leader of the light's fight agents the dark in such a state.

Once the order had assembled in it's entirety Dumbledore began to speak. "It is not easy to admit that one has made a mistake, and I find that I have as much trouble in this regard as anyone else." Pausing to gather his strength he continued, "my mistake was in ignoring the council of some of the Order members when I allowed Harry Potter so much privacy, I had blinded myself by my hope to give him more memories of a happy child hood and I forgot that by their very nature guard's on one's person limit privacy and freedom as much as the give safety. Because of an old man's lapse our dear Harry is missing, because of my foible I have allowed Harry to place himself in danger. Here are my orders, Harry Potter is to be found as quickly as possible and when found he is to be brought back to the safety of his family as soon as possible after that he is not to be left alone at any time, He Must Be Kept Safe."

Immediately the voices of half the Order rose up in protest, silencing them with a wave Dumbledore dismissed them, "you have your orders, and you will carry them out." He could only hope that Harry would forgive him for his actions when it was safe, until then the boy's hate was a price that he was willing to pay to keep him alive.

"Now that that business is out of the way, I have another piece of information to bring before the order." Moody announced, "today a black coach drawn by six Nightmares was seen in Diagon Alley."

"I don't see the significance," said one of the younger order members, "why should the order be concerned by someone's unique coach?"

"It's not the coach lad; it's the Nightmares that are important."

"Why?" the man asked again, "lots of people use magical horses, for instance Hogwarts uses Thestrals to pull their coaches."

"But only one man uses Nightmares." Dumbledore interrupted, "the Lord of Caer Azkaban has returned."

At that statement Tonks asked the question that many of the younger members were thinking, "what lord of Azkaban? I thought the island was under the control of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?"

"It has been for the past few decades due to the absence of Azkaban's Lord, however I suspect that will change with the return of Lord Azkaban." Dumbledore answered, "I want all Order members to listen for any information they can on Lord Azkaban, eventually we are going to have to send envoys to him and when we do I want them to be working with as much information as possible."

"Sir you can't seriously think of allying us with the man who controls Dementors?" Molly Weasley asked with a frown, "someone like that must be the darkest of Dark Wizards, wouldn't it be a lost cause to think that he wouldn't go straight to Voldemort?"

"No, I don't think it is Molly," Dumbledore replied thoughtfully, "if I recall correctly the Lord of Azkaban may use dark magic but he has never been a dark wizard, I think that at the very least we can convince him to call back the Dementors, he has never allowed them as much freedom as they are enjoying now and I suspect that they will soon be called back to the island."

IIIIIIIIII

Miles away in a slightly affluent muggle neighborhood:

Tears flowed down her face as Hermione read Harry's letter and she wanted nothing more then to gather him in a hug and assure him over and over that things would get better.

Picking up a quill to write a quick reply she put it down again, he had stated quite clearly that he would be out of contact and she didn't know what to do she couldn't comfort him and she imagined him sinking deeper and deeper into despair without her to cheer him up again.

"You had better be ok Harry potter, because when I find you, you're going to be in so much trouble for cutting yourself off like this."

IIIIIIIIII

Back at Caer Azkaban:

Contrary to what Hermione believed, Harry was not sinking deeper and deeper into despair, he was confused.

Never had he been in a situation like this before, everywhere he went people would drop to their knees and say things like 'all hail Lord Azkaban' and 'long may he rule,' he didn't know how to take it.

At the alley he had just gone with the flow, having no plans on what to do after visiting Gringotts beyond some vague notion that he needed new cloths, he had never expected something like this to happen.

That night Harry was surprised to find that he was not alone in his bedroom as he prepared for sleep turning towards his guest, "yes Becky?"

"Will you be needing anything else Harry?" She enquired

"No I'll be fine for the night," upon seeing that she didn't move, "that means that I would like to be alone."

"Yes Harry, I'll leave you then," she said as she left the room and walked into his private apartments.

Falling onto the giant four poster bed he closed his eyes and was instantly asleep.

The next morning he awoke early and inspected the room he was in, somewhat to his surprise, the walls were painted a creamy blue rather then the black that he had been expecting.

To one side was a chest of drawers, large conformable looking chair and a book shelf and to the other were two mysterious doors.

After dressing he decided to explore the two doors and then the castle proper.

The first appeared to be a private loo with a bath rivaling the one he had seen in the prefect's bathroom back at Hogwarts, taking a moment to freshen up he went to the second was furnished as another small bedroom.

Walking out the door to his bedroom he tripped over a body in front of his door, looking down he was surprised to see the awakening form of his assistant.

"Good morning Harry, did you sleep well?"

"Yes," he answered distracted, "why were you sleeping in front of my door?"

"My duty is to remain near you at all times Harry, normally I would sleep in your bed or in the small bed room off yours but since you ordered me to leave you last night I slept out here." She answered, blinking away the sleep. "Would you like some breakfast?"

"Why couldn't you find somewhere else to sleep, the room you had before I came perhaps?"

"As I said Harry, my duty is to be near you to take care of your needs at any time day or night and I cannot do that if I am too far from you."

Harry nodded a bid dumbly surprised by the devotion he was being shown. "Becky, in the future you will be sleeping in your bedroom."

"Yes Harry, if that is your wish."

"Now lets get some breakfast, what do we have this morning."

"We have what ever you wish Harry," she answered.

"All right," he said, "how about sausages and eggs, with a bit of orange juice on the side"

"I shall have it made at once." she said, making a notation in her book, "shall I show you to your dining room?"

"Yes please," he replied, following her for a few minutes he came to a room with a large table surrounded by chairs walking towards the head of the table he sat where Becky motioned towards.

Within seconds a large plate covered in food appeared before him and he was halfway through his meal before he noticed that he was alone at the table.

Looking around he noticed his assistant standing behind and to the left of his seat, "aren't you going to have breakfast?"

"I will try to get something to eat during the day if I have a spare moment Harry."

"Sit down and get yourself something to eat."

"But Sir," she said a bit nervously, "it wouldn't be proper to eat at the same table as your Lordship."

"I say it is, now sit down and get something to eat, I don't want you going hungry."

After finishing his meal Harry noticed his assistant putting down her utensils, "keep eating, I said that I don't want you going hungry and that means that you will finish your meal when you are done not when I am."

"Yes Harry," she responded somewhat meekly as she continued to eat. "I was unsure of witch library to put your books in so they have not been sorted yet and the Council has requested that you grant them an audience."

"What do you mean which Library?"

"There are two; your personal library where most of your rare and valuable books are kept and your main library which is open to the citizens of Azkaban."

"Have them placed in the main library and remind me to visit it later today, what is the Council?"

"The Council is a group of Azkaban's leaders; the Warden of Azkaban prison, the head of guard, the mayor of the town of Pankritan and the current head of the Merchants and Craftsmen guild."

"When do they want to see me?"

"At you earliest possible moment, I believe that they have already convened in the council chambers so that they do not take too much of your Lordship's time if you chose to meet with them."

"Then let's not keep them waiting." Harry said with a smile. "we'll leave as soon as you finish your meal."

"I'm done now Harry," she said presenting her clean plate, "if you like I can show you the way."

The council chambers reminded Harry of the pictures in his grade school textbooks of the Pantheon, in the center under the domed ceiling was a round table with several people sitting around it. "Presenting my Lord Azkaban long may he rule," upon hearing Becky's announcement everyone stood faced Harry and repeated, "long may he rule."

Having been prepared for this by his assistant on the way to the chambers Harry sat in the large empty chair, "be seated my loyal retainers."

"My Lord," the Warden of Azkaban prison, a thin almost skeletal man said attracting Harry's attention, "if it is agreeable to you the council has agreed that I start." Upon seeing Harry's nod of acceptance the man continued, "I have two main items I would like to bring to your attention, the first is the escape of the Dementors and several prisoners."

"I am aware of it." Harry said with a nod, "what about it."

"If you would be willing to call the Dementors back I would be grateful my Lord, as it is my staff is quite short."

"How do I call them back" Harry asked, eager to reduce the Dark Lord's forces.

"Simply call them my Lord."

"All I have to do is say Dementors return?" Harry asked incredulously.

"That should do it my Lord thank you," the Warden said with a satisfied nod, "the other item is that I have several prisoners which I would like to recommend for citizenship, something that has been impossible to do without your lordship."

"I'm afraid you're going to have to explain that to me also."

"All prisoners sent to Azkaban proper are sentenced stay 'at the pleasure of Lord Azkaban' in recent decades since the death of the 32nd Lord of Azkaban this has meant that the ministry has determined when and if a prisoner should be let out, with your return it will once again mean that they shall be yours until the courts order their release or you chose to grant them citizenship."

"Give their files to Rebecca and I will review them later, next."

Next was a man who reminded Harry of Moody in that he seemed to have more scars then unmarked skin. "Maxwell Sir, Commander of the Island guard, I would like to ask permission to recruit muggles my Lord."

"Why?" Harry asked, intrigued that any wizard would wish to bring muggles in on the 'great secret' of the wizarding world.

"It's something we use to do in the old days my Lord, you may not believe it but muggles invent new ways of causing havoc faster then we invent spells and without our Lord Azkaban we have been under the control of the Ministry who refuses to even conceder my request."

"Granted, what's next on our agenda?"

"Nothing else my Lord," a woman that Becky identified as the mayor of Pankritan by whispering into her watch spoke up. "The remainder of the council is here as a show of their allegiance to you my Lord Azkaban long may you rule."

"All right," Harry said. "Commander Maxwell I would like to speak with you after this meeting, the rest of you are dismissed."

Standing the members of the Council save one left the room. "Commander Maxwell I am going to need an instructor to help me learn better dueling and battle tactics and I was hoping that you could recommend or provide someone."

"I have just the man in mind my Lord, an Auror before we recruited him he spent several years in the Island Guard and he is nearing retirement, he's one of my best and I think he would be an asset to you," the man paused as if unsure wither to continue, "if it wouldn't be impertinent may I ask you a question my Lord?"

"Ask away"

"Why was your assistant speaking into her watch during the meeting?" the man asked curiously.

"Oh that." Harry said with a laugh, "if she speaks into her watch I can hear it through my earring and vice versa."

"May I try my Lord?" the man said eagerly "I may have a few ideas on how we can use this."

"Sure" Harry said handing him his watch and earring, watching bemused as the man played with them for a while.

"May I have your permission to buy the patent on these my Lord, I think that with a few modifications these will quite useful."

"If you think that we can use them go ahead."

"Thank you my Lord" said the man taking his leave.

"What's next on our agenda Becky?" Harry asked with a smile.

"You asked me to remind you to visit the Library Harry," she said hesitantly, "after that your schedule is blank."

The library was immense, putting even Hogwarts's own to shame, "I have a friend who would love this place." Harry said with a grin.

"Ah Rebecca, how good to see you," said an ancient man approaching them, "have you seen it? Lord Azkaban has sent me new books, not since I was a young man has this library seen so many new volumes and they tell me that there is a standing order for more."

Turning to see Harry for the first time, "and who is your hansom young friend?"

"That's our new Lord, Allmus," she said softly to the old man, "and this is Allmus the Head Librarian, my Lord."

"Thank you for the books my Lord, you have made an old man happy."

"If you like you can get as many books as you like, not just the ones that I've ordered."

"You would allow me to purchase rare volumes, even those in other languages?"

Harry was surprised to see tears in the man's eyes, "I insist upon it, get what ever you can find to make this library the best in the world."

They spent several more hours in the library before leaving, "what do you wish to do now my Lord?" his assistant inquired.

"Now, I just want to go back to my quarters and write a letter," Harry said in a tired voice, "after that maybe we can take care of some more business, but right now I'm having trouble thinking straight."

Sitting down at the desk he began to write and he felt as if a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders after he was done.

Sealing it in an envelope he handed it to his assistant, send this to Hermione and I don't want anyone to be able to trace it.

It was the last thing he did that day before drifting off to sleep.

_My Dearest Hermione,_

_Today I visited something that you would have loved to have seen, a gigantic library, bigger then even the one at Hogwarts. It is filled with books on every subject you can imagine and it has recently been updated to include many newer books that had been missing from its shelves. With this recent update, the librarian assures me that it is one of the best, most up to date libraries in the world and he tells me that the other library here has the best rare book collection in the world. I wish you were here with me, not just because I wanted to see the look on your face when you saw so many books but because I miss you. It's lonely here without any of my friends, I am surrounded by people but none of them know me they just see what they want to see. Due to the situation that I find myself in I have begun missing your council more and more, I just don't know what to do, I'm trying to do my best and to act confident but on the inside I'm more afraid then I was when I went into the Chamber of Secretes. I'm still working on finding you a secure way to communicate and I think I may have one, a comment someone made about my watch has made me hopeful that I can get something to you and if things work out, depending on the range we may be able to speak with each other. I still don't trust Dumbledore and every time I think about the things that he's done I can't help but feel angry and that worries me because I am afraid that if I feel too much anger it will make me more like Voldemort. Sorry this letter has been so rambling but it seems like my thoughts pour out of my quill when I sit in front of the parchment, thank you for allowing me to write such personal things and thank you for being my friend. _

_Love all ways _

_Harry,_

* * *

AN: I got the 'at the pleasure of Lord Azkaban' from something I read, until recently people in England were sentenced 'to the pleasure of Her majesty and true or false it seemed like it would fit the fic. Yes the only reason I had Harry get a watch that was a communication device was so that his bodyguards would walk around talking to their wrists later in the fic, if you get the joke two points to you.

Sorrow1 – I agree, looking back I was a bit rushed by Harry's acceptance. I was trying to portray him as confused and just "going with the flow" for most of it save the scene on Knockturn alley where he was trying to be a stereotypical pureblood. As for everyone knowing the position, only some of the older people knew what the Nightmares meant and most people would not know that their even was a 'Lord Azkaban' something I dealt with a bit in this chapter. Lastly James Potter has no relation to the Azkaban bloodline and Harry didn't inherit from him, I said that Muggles and Squibs couldn't inherit but I didn't say that their decedents couldn't. Thanks for the comments; they give me something to work on if I ever decide to do a rewrite.

OldNick – Thanks, I got a bit tired of having Harry be the Lord of Black or Potter, or the heir to one of the founders so I decided to try something I hadn't seen before.

lmill123 – What you saw in the first chapter was Harry's point of view, in this chapter I hope that I explained Dumbledore's, he is willing to do anything to keep Harry alive and he doesn't care too much about the consequences. And you are correct about Fudge losing control of Azkaban; imagine that he will be quite annoyed by that.

athenakitty – Yup, wouldn't you be a bit surprised to learn that you inherited a title. No plans on the Dursleys at this point. At this point I plan to have Harry return to Hogwarts, but that may change depending on where the story goes.

blubb-blubb – Hope I revealed enough in these last two chapters.

Phil – Thanks

BlindJedi – Thanks, with luck the ideas will keep flowing until I reach the end of this story.

a reader - Thanks

VHDL – Thanks

Karlell – More on the way.

Thelvyn – Oops, another thing to keep in mind for the Rewrite I intended to say 300 for Narcissa and another 300 to Belatrix, as to the sheer size of the amount that is intentional but after your comments I think that I may have gone a bit overboard, however its absence will cause trouble for the Malfoy family later. The monthly annual thing fell through the cracks when I was writing it, started out annual and went to monthly later in the write and I didn't change it all, more things for the rewrite. Thanks for the comments.

shadow of the black abyss – Thanks


	4. Meetings and Greetings

Disclaimer: I do not own most of these characters.

* * *

Meetings and Greetings

* * *

Sitting on his Dark Throne, Voldemort was unhappy to say the least and when he was unhappy he tended to spread the feeling around, "Crucio."

Draco screamed as the curse hit him, though he had not yet been branded by the dark mark his father's incarceration had thrust him into a position of relative importance.

"I'm sorry master," he sobbed, "I'm so sorry for what ever I did to offend you."

"What ever you did?" the Dark Lord hissed, "there is only one reason that I tolerate your presence in my forces and that is the funding that your family can provide to me, where is my tithe?"

"I don't know master; it should have been given to you by now."

"Crucio," Voldemort held the curse, "find out where it is and bring it to me, now get out of my sight."

"At once master, I shall find it at once," Draco stammered out as he fled the room.

Voldemort smirked as he watched the boy go; while the short term loss of so much funding had been a nuisance but the excuse it provided to punish his newest minion and see the look of fear on his face was more then worth the temporary set back to his plans.

Draco shivered as he Apparated back to Malfoy manner, and after quickly changing back into his normal clothing, storming to the fire place he flooed to Diagon Alley.

Walking angrily through the doors of Gringotts bank he immediately accosted the nearest goblin. "You, drop what ever petty matter has your attention and attend to me."

"How may I help you…Sir."

"I demand to know what is wrong with my account and if you cannot tell me then I demand that you take me to someone who can."

"Right away…Sir, if you'll follow me."

The goblins lead him to a small desk and Draco grudgingly took a chair, "well on with it, or are you too simple to deduce what is wrong with my account."

Thumbing through the folder containing the Malfoy family's file the goblin soon found the answer, "I've found it."

"Well on with it." Draco interrupted.

"I'm afraid that the death of Sirius Black has caused the Black family to lose its head."

"Then fetch the necessary items to perform the Inheritance Ritual and be quick about it, I want to be out of this place as soon as possible."

"You misunderstand me," the goblin said smugly, "the house of Black has a new head and they have ordered that the payments made to you, your aunt, and you mother be immediately ceased."

"How, how can that be?" Draco asked losing a bit of his composure, "I'm the last male with any shred of Black ancestry so by the law and custom of the noble Black house I should be the sole inheritor of the Black fortune."

"I'm afraid that you were misinformed then, if you like then I could contact the newest head of the Black family and ask him if he wishes to continue the payments?" said the goblin who was enjoying this more then he should be.

"Do so," said a now white faced Draco in a whisper.

Standing the goblin walked away leaving Draco alone with his thoughts.

"I have received a reply from the new head of the noble house of Black," the goblin smiled at Draco's jump, "and he has instructed me to read it aloud."

"On with it." Draco snarled, becoming more confident that his cousin would continue to finance both the Dark Lord and the Malfoy family.

"It states, and I quote 'I have no intention of giving so much as a knute to that pasty little bastard or his half blood master' end quote."

Draco left the bank in a considerable less animated state then he had entered, without the allowance given to them by the Black family they were forced to rely only on the Malfoy fortunes which while large were nothing in comparison to the Black's, a fortune that would soon disappear under the weight of funding the Dark Lord.

Back at Castle Azkaban Harry chuckled to himself as he imagined the look that must be on the ferret's face.

Slowly he was adjusting to his life at the castle. "Becky, contact that wand maker you told me about and tell him to meet with me when he has a free moment."

"Yes Harry, he shall be here at once or I shall know the reason why."

"I meant it when I said 'when he has a free moment,' you said that my schedule is open today so I really am in no hurry."

"As you command Harry," she said making a quick notation in her book, "but I would assume that he will come as quickly as possible even without my prompting, you are after all his Lord."

"You do know that despite that I'm still just a regular person don't you?" he inquired mildly.

"Not to me Harry, Not to me or any other inhabitant of this Island to us you are our Lord and protector," she said with no small amount of intensity, "to us you represent our hope of a better life away from ministry control under your leadership, to us you are everything."

Not knowing how to respond to such a statement, Harry chose to remain silent.

True to Becky's prediction, the wand maker did not take long to arrive.

He was a short rather stout man wearing the traditional blacks and grays that the citizenry of Azkaban seemed to prefer, perspiration ran down his fat red cheeks indicating that he had come at a dead run and clutched in his left hand was a black leather 'carpet bag.'

"You have summoned me my Lord and I have come," the man said in an overly formal tone, "what may I your humble servant do for your Lordship?"

"Thank you for coming." Harry said with a smile designed to put the man at ease, "I am going to need another wand and Rebecca my assistant told me that you were the best."

Straightening his shoulders at the comment the man seemed ready to burst with pride, "I shall do my best to live up to your Lordship's expectations."

Opening the bag the man pulled out a thick book and opened it to reveal page upon page of wood samplesm "touch each one my Lord and tell me what 'feels right' after that we will know which wood to construct you wand out of."

Stopping at a small sliver of deep black wood he stopped, "this one."

"Not surprising my Lord, that is a sample of wood from the Ebon shade tree," he said while closing the book and placing it back into the case, "it is a mystical tree that grows only on the Island."

"With your permission my lord I would like to try something a bit unusual for your wand core?" seeing Harry's nod, "I would like to see if a hair from the tail of one of my Lord's own Nightmares might suit him the best."

"All right, we can visit the stables when we have a spare moment."

"Thank you my Lord, now," he said handing Harry something that resembled one of Fred and Gorge's fake wands, "wave that about sir and it will adjust it's self to your preferred wand length and handle shape."

"Thirteen inches my Lord," the man said absentmindedly. "All we have to do now is pick out the runes and the wand blank."

Over the next hour Harry handled blank after blank until finally he found the one that seemed to feel 'right' "this one" he said handing his chosen blank to the wand maker.

"This is the last thing before we go to your stables my Lord," the stout man said handing Harry a small rune covered stone, "it will pick which control and power runes should be carved into your wand."

The second the stone hit Harry's hand it began to glow with a strange eldritch light, "what does this mean?" Harry asked the now pale wand maker.

"All of them my Lord, it means that I am to carve all of them into your wand."

The stables were quite close to his private apartments, Becky explained that it was because the 15th Lord of Azkaban liked to ride and ordered that new stables be constructed closer to his chambers so that he would have less of a walk.

Entering a large paddock containing all of his Nightmares Harry again turned to the wand maker, "what do I do now?"

"Just pick one that you feel connected to my lord and remove one of the hairs from its tail," the old wand maker replied.

Walking up to a young colt Harry held out his hand palm up with the fingers straightened, "this one." He said with no small amount of certainty, "I don't know how to explain it but when I'm near this animal my magic … sings."

Taking one of the hairs from the colt's tail he handed it to the wand maker, "take your time with this wand; I want everything to be perfect."

"I assure you my Lord that it will be my finest creation, with your permission I will take my leave and begin my work."

"Do so"

"Harry," Rebecca said softly attracting his attention. "Commander Maxwell has requested a moment of your time; I can have him meet us here if you like."

"That would be fine," Harry said walking over to a wooden bench overlooking the corral, "have the kitchens send down some refreshment for our meeting."

"As you wish Harry, Commander Maxwell says that he will be here shortly."

Commander Maxwell was accompanied by another older man, "good afternoon my Lord, this is Simon Fletcher," he said gesturing towards the older man, "he's the man that I recommended to you."

"A pleasure to meet you Mr. Fletcher," Harry nodded to the older man. "I hope to learn a lot from you."

"Please call me Simon my Lord, and I hope to teach you a lot."

"I did have another reason that I wished to speak with you my Lord," Commander Maxwell interjected, "it is my pleasure to inform you that the 'watch' project was a success."

"Excellent, I'm glad that you were able to succeed but I must confess that I was surprised at how little time it took."

"It went so quickly because we were able to get the original design team with the patent, seems that they were feeling a mite under paid and under appreciated and they jumped at the chance to enter your Lordship's service."

"Here is one of the first completed models," the head of Azkaban's guard said presenting Harry with a small package, "it has several improvements; it has several different 'frequencies' I think the muggle borne called them, this means that your Lordship can have your own personal 'frequency' and different guard units can also have their own."

"And that's not all," the man said excitedly, "each one also acts as a portkey point and apparition point."

"Excellent," Harry said with genuine enthusiasm, "I will need two others for friends of mine which may have their frequency's restricted to my personal one, I can't emphasize enough how pleased I am by this."

"I shall have them sent over at once my Lord, along with an extra for your assistant."

At his departure Harry turned to his new instructor, "when would you like to start?"

"Now would be fine your Lordship," the old ex Auror said slowly, "what would you like to learn."

"Mainly I need to learn tactics that will allow me to survive a fight with a group of dark wizards, I am also going to need to learn Occlumency, and if possible I would like to become an Anamagus."

"If you like Sir I can do a spell that would allow me to know if you had an Anamagus form"

"I thought that it required several expensive potions and hours of meditation?" Harry asked curiously, "if I had known that all I had to do was perform a charm then I would have started this years ago."

"Better you didn't try it before Sir, the spell is classified as a level three dark curse by the Ministry," the instructor paused as if unsure to continue, "the minister of the time said that making the process more difficult and expensive would encourage people to register."

Harry just looked at him incredulously. "I guess that Fudge's policies are nothing new then."

"No they aren't Sir, now if you'll just hold still for a second," the man made several complicated wand movements while muttering the incantation under his breath, "I'm afraid that you do not have an Anamagus form Sir, I wouldn't feel bad about it as only a small portion of the population has the talent."

"That's all right," Harry replied a bit disappointed, "the only reason I was so keen to do it was because my father had the ability and I wished to follow in his footsteps."

"If it's any consolation Sir, I did find some talent for self transfiguration and I think that with time you could become a Metamorphmagus, you'll have to find another instructor for that though Sir as I wouldn't know how to begin teaching it."

"That's better than nothing I suppose," Harry replied thoughtfully. "I've got someone in mind to help me with my self transfiguration but until I have a chance to contact them lets work on the other things first."

What followed was one of the most painful and tiring things that Harry had ever experienced and in hind sight he decided that he needed to find a better catch phrase then 'do your worse' in his fights with the old man.

Crawling out of his shower he had barely enough strength to tell his assistant to deliver the watches to his friends before he collapsed onto his bed into a deep sleep.

Harry quickly fell into a routine over the next week; he would spend his mornings learning how to use his hands, his feet, and his dagger in a fight, followed by a working lunch where he would grant audiences to any of his subordinates, spend his afternoons learning Occlumency and how to fight with magic, and his evenings whispering a few words through his watch to Hermione or Ron before collapsing into a Deep slumber.

This routine was interrupted on the tenth day when he was informed that he had visitors from both the Order of the Phoenix and the ministry.

"Who did they send?"

"The Order has sent a Werewolf named Remus Lupin and the Minister himself has come on behalf of the ministry" Becky replied "how do you wish this handled Harry?"

"Seat Remus in a comfortable room and inform him that it will be some time before I am able to meet with him and have the Minister sent up immediately" shaking his head ruefully "much as I would like to put him in a tiny room and make him wait, I don't think it would be productive at this point in time."

"Yes Harry" she said making a notation in her ever present book, "are you going to be requiring your cloak or some other means of concealing your identity?"

"I had almost forgotten thank you Becky, yes send the cloak."

They met the Minister in one of the Castles many rooms designed for such a purpose.

"Good afternoon Lord Azkaban," the Minister said in a nervous voice while extending a sweaty palm, "so good of you to take time out of your schedule to meet with me."

"Minister." Harry responded with a nod, "I am always willing to take time out of my schedule to meet with so important a person, to what do I owe this meeting?"

"As you are no doubt aware," the Fudge began nervously. "He Who Must Not Be Named, has returned and I am here to ask for your assistance in the fight with him and his forces."

"I would be happy to grant your request but for one thing minister," Harry responded eyeing the man in much the way a shark eyes it's next meal, "by current wizarding law it is illegal for my forces to operate outside the Island in any official capacity save for matters of my safety."

Unfortunately for Fudge he was not able to penetrate the thick obscuring darkness created by Harry's hood, nor was he able to recognize the voce of the boy that he had only recently been trying to discredit, "yes of course, I shall immediately enact a law to grant them the same status as Aurors within the eyes of the Ministry."

"Excellent Minister, the only thing to do now is to discuss the matter of the identity of your liaison to me shall be"

"Liaison?" the Minister said slowly, "why would you need a liaison?"

"Because of the fact that we are both such busy men Minister and I cannot expect you to keep coming to the Island to receive updates on the status of my men, much better to delegate it to someone else."

"Yes much," the Minister agreed quickly, "do you have anyone in mind?"

"I do." Harry responded, "one of your current employees already has a connection to us, an Arthur Weasley I believe his name is."

"Why do you want him?" responded the Minister, curiosity overcoming fear.

"Becky?"

"Arthur Weasley; currently works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts at the Ministry, his Great grandfather's third cousin became a subject of my Lord Azkaban one hundred and fifty two years ago."

"Ah yes Mortimer, how is he doing Becky?"

"He died almost seventy five years ago, my Lord Azkaban."

"Hmm, I hadn't realized that but I do tend to lose track of time I suppose," Harry responded evenly to keep the laughter out of his voice.

"So you see Minister," Harry said returning to his earlier conversation, "in must be him, why he's practically family."

"Yes I see," said the Minister carefully, "but the problem is that the job requires someone that is several pay grades above Arthur so…"

"So you're going to promote him?" said Harry interrupting, "how generous of you, it may be a good idea to give him a small allowance of say five or six hundred Galleons to buy combat robes and such."

"Yes," the Minister replied weakly, "is their anything else that you wish to speak about?"

"No Minister, you have covered everything that could possibly come up in this meeting, would you care to stay for tea?"

"Much as I would like to stay, matters of state require me to return to my office," Fudge said through thinly disguised fear, "so if you will excuse me I must be going."

"Until the next time Minister," Harry replied to the Minister's retreating back.

Once Fudge had left the room Harry turned to his assistant, "right after that law is enacted I want him investigated for corruption and anything else that that my investigators think he might be guilty of."

"It shall be done Harry, now do you want to see the Order's envoy?" asked the girl with a slight smirk.

"I'm going to need some way of fooling his sense of smell first," Harry said cautiously.

"I shall have it taken care of my Lord, he shall arrive momentarily."

Harry's meeting with Remus was quite different from the rather strained meeting with Fudge, but no less enjoyable.

Walking into the room Lupin immediately dropped to one knee. "I thank my Lord Azkaban for granting his humble servant this audience."

"You do know?" Harry said with no small amount of amusement at his friend's actions, "that that is a formal greeting that is used exclusively by the citizens of Azkaban?"

Lupin looked like a fish out of water for a split second, "my apologies Lord Azkaban no disrespect was intended, the Order was able to find little information on the customs of Azkaban."

"Quite all right," Harry responded, "now unless it is some outsider custom which I am not aware of, would you please get up off of my floor and take the seat I had brought in for you?"

Nodding Lupin took the seat across from Harry, "if it wouldn't be rude may I get down to business?"

"Please do," Harry said motioning for Becky to pour him a cup of tea, "would you like some tea or some other refreshment?"

"Tea would be fine," the Order member said absently, "as I'm sure you know the Order of the Phoenix lead by Albus Dumbledore has been engaged in a fight with agents of the returned Lord Voldemort."

"Yes I am aware of that, however I fail to see what you wish with me."

"The Order would like you to provide a safe haven for its members and their families; we would also welcome any assistance that you would offer to combat Voldemort and his Death Eaters."

"Before I answer I would like to hear the answer to one question of mine."

"Only one?" Lupin said with a wry smile, "if I were in your position I would have several."

"Yes only one and I would like you to understand that this question is not meant to offend," he paused, "why is it that your Order sent a Werewolf as its representative?"

"No offence is taken, the Order sent me because among the scant facts that we have been able to unearth about Azkaban and its Lord was that you have always valued ability over all else," pausing to take a breath, "and that at various times throughout history you have been willing to provide a safe haven to persons such as myself that the normal wizarding world looks down upon, we in the Order had hoped that by sending a Werewolf we could show you the we shared the ideal that ability and not a supposed purity of blood was what was important."

"Very good Mr. Lupin, I will grant you your requests and more, in addition to what was requested; you may also use my medical facilities, you may use my Island as a staging ground, and you may call upon my personal aid should you need it as I have already agreed with the Minister to allow my forces to be used in this fight."

"Thank you my Lord I…"

"Don't thank me until you have heard my demands Mr. Lupin," Harry interrupted, "if I allow you the use of my medical facilities I shall in turn expect you to allow me the use of yours, grant me that and one other thing and we shall have an agreement."

"What other thing?" Lupin replied warily.

"I find myself in need of a Metamorphmagus to aid one of the people on this island in unlocking their ability and since I know that you have one in your forces…" he trailed off.

"I don't think it will be a problem to have her come here for some instruction," Lupin said a bit of his enthusiasm returning, "the decision will have to rest with her though."

"Thank you Mr. Lupin it has been a pleasure talking with you and now that business has been taken care of may I offer you a small token of my esteem which you may keep regardless of what may happen with our little deal?"

"Of course Lord Azkaban, though such a thing is unnecessary."

"It is nothing more then a trifle I realize but I've heard that you are a student of the Defense Against the Dark Arts and I would like to offer you unrestricted access to my main library," Harry said smiling under his hood, "it is one of the finest in the world and I have recently updated it."

"Thank you Lord Azkaban" Lupin replied surprised and excited that he was being given such an opportunity, "if you do not mind I would like to take advantage of your gift at once."

"Not at all Mr. Lupin, Becky will have someone waiting outside to show you the way."

"Do I have anything else to do today Becky?" Harry asked while watching his friend walk away.

"No Harry, no others have requested an audience"

"I suppose that it's back to practice then."

Later that night the Order of the Phoenix had convened to hear Remus Lupin's report on his meeting with the Lord of Caer Azkaban.

"Those were his demands, something that we would have offered anyway and Tonk's assistance in training one of his people to use their abilities?" Dumbledore asked, surprised that it could be so easy.

"That's all Albus," Remus replied with a grin, "he's also given me free and unrestricted access to one of his libraries regardless of what ever decision we come to regarding the agreement, it's amazing some of the things that I was able to find there."

"Thank you Remus, this is the first bit of good news we've had since Harry disappeared," Dumbledore said eyes twinkling madly, "it's up to you Nymphadora, if you don't wish to do this I will not force it."

"It's ok," said the clumsy young Auror, "it's not like he's asking anything that I wouldn't have done anyway."

"Then it's decided, Remus tomorrow you will inform Lord Azkaban to our agreement of his terms," Dumbledore said with a smile.

* * *

AN: Don't get your hopes up or down about Malfoy ending up in the poor house, he will find a way to keep the Malfoy fortune safe from Voldemort. In other news I can't really think of any thing to do to the Dursleys that does not seem overly petty or malicious so suggestions are welcome. May be a bit of time before some of the other characters from the books make their appearance as I don't have a good feel for writing some of them, Luna especially have no fear they will show but it may take a few chapters. Yes Harry is going to come away from his summer training with quite a bit of skill in dueling and hand to hand combat, to those who do not think that this is realistic I would like to point out the various basic trainings done by military s around the world. These give quite a bit of skill to large groups of untrained people quickly, Harry has a private tutor and he arrived partially trained. The reason that Harry implied that he knew Arthur Weasley's distant relative will be covered in later chapters, for now all you need to know is that he did it to mess with Fudges head. The 'Small' allowance of 5-6 hundred Galleons was a way for Harry to get a large amount of cash to the Weasleys and to annoy Fudge.

Thanks to all my reviewers, responses to some of them are below.

Fiery Pheonix – Don't know what if any match up will be in this story.

DaBear – Hedwig was left at the Dursley's place and was later picked up by members of the Order; I've got to remember to have Harry pick her up later.

Sorrow1 – Like I said, as you saw in this chapter I do have a reason to be giving them so much cash not to buy mansions but to finance the Dark Lord, who has just lost one of his larger sources. I do agree that I went overboard and it shall be fixed soon.

a reader – Thanks, first two chapters showed Harry's point of view and three had Dumbledore.

Kalorna Enera – Thanks, the reason that Harry is so distant to Ron is because of a lingering fear of rejection, not only did Harry just get more money and a title but he has inherited a position that many wizards assume is dark. Wither Harry's fears prove out will be written later as I haven't found a way to deal with this that I haven't seen (dark bigot Ron and brainless follower Ron wont even be considered.)

Merelan Harper – Thanks, English spelling and grammar have always given me trouble despite the fact that I am a native speaker. Ah well, something I still need to work on. Was worried that I was going a bit fast. As for Ron I'm not sure how I'm going to deal with him, I do know that this will not be a 'Ron betrays or turns his back on Harry' fic.

David M. Potter – The Order picked up his things as per his request to Dumbledore, Harry can't pardon Sirius but he can make him a Citizen of Azkaban posthumously, Umbitch will get hers, Hermione will see the Library and no one will see her for quite some time, Lupin will come into the picture soon. It may be H/Hr/B, haven't decided what if any match ups to have, as for the sexual harassment, well Becky thinks that it is part of her job to keep him happy in any way that he desires and is currently quite concerned about his stress relief – more on that later.

Jammer – She will disappear into it for quite some time.

athenakitty – Some of this was answered in this chapter, as for the rest…all in good time.

Saetan – Not sure how Harry is going to get through the library and while I have a few ideas I haven't settled on anything yet, not sure how long I can keep up my momentum of updating so much.

wadeki – Thank you.

DMP – Don't know yet what the match will be.


	5. Ghost, Eyes, Revelations, and Revenge

Disclaimer: I wish that I could lay claim to these characters but I cannot and all of the good ones belong to other people.

* * *

Ghost, Eyes, Revelations, and Revenge

* * *

Seeing the Minister of magic approaching Arthur Weasley became nervous, it wasn't every day that Fudge graced them with his presence and since the end of the Triwizard tournament every conversation he had with the man had been … unpleasant.

Sparing a brief hope that the public recognition that 'You Know Who' had returned would temper the Minister's usual idiocy, "hello Minister, what brings you to our piece of the government?"

"Well Arthur," the Minister responded with false cheer, "it's been decided that this Department needs a change, nothing against you of course but we think that it would be best if someone new took your position."

This is it I'm being fired, how am I going to support my family now Arthur thought while bracing himself for the worst.

"Which is why we are promoting you three pay grades and assigning you to head the Liaison to the Lord of Azkaban." Fudge said with a fake smile, "really Arthur, I know that you enjoy playing with your muggle toys but with the return of 'You Know Who' don't you think it's time to use your abilities for something more important?"

"I … I suppose," Arthur could only stammer out in shock.

"I'm glad you agree then, I'll have my secretary send you the details but I wanted to tell you about your promotion personally to ensure that you wouldn't turn it down."

"Thank you Minister."

"Not at all Arthur, now if you will excuse me I must be going," that was the right way to deal with that, Fudge thought with satisfaction show the Lord of Azkaban that he held Weasley…no Arthur in a very high esteem.

Arthur went through the rest of the day in a daze, returning home he slowly walked through the door towards the kitchen where he presumed that he would meet the rest of his family.

He found them gathered around the table three of his sons along with his only daughter; Molly was at the stove. "I have some news for you all."

They looked at him with no small amount of worry upon seeing his expression. "I've been promoted several grades and assigned to a new position."

"But dad, I thought you loved working where you could fool around with Muggle things?" Ginny said innocently.

"I do Ginny, but I have no choice in this and I'm told that I was asked for by name."

"What's the new Position?" Molly asked curiously, eager to know what her husband's new job would be.

"It's to act as a liaison with one of the ministry's new allies; I'll tell you more about it later," Arthur replied. "I'll be starting tomorrow so I may be home a bit late."

They ate their meal in silence, each taking the news of the promotion differently; Ginny and Molly were a bit concerned that Arthur would no longer be able to work at something he loved so much, Ron was a bit pleased that his father was finally getting the recognition that he deserved and the money that the family needed, and the twins … best not say what was running through their minds.

Arthur waited until his family went to sleep before he walked to his fire place and tossed in some floo powder. "Listen closely Remus, I have some news for you…"

The next morning the muggle obsessed head of the Weasley clan woke early and apparated to the channel dock looking around he spotted his two Order companions waving to him.

"Good morning Arthur." Remus said with a nod, "Tonks and I are just waiting for the ferry to arrive."

As soon as the Werewolf spoke the words a thick fog settled over the docks, in the distance they could see the approaching ferry coming closer and closer.

A tall cloaked figure stood on the bow and a chill settled over them as his head swiveled around to face them.

"WHO MIGHT YOU BE WHO SEEKS PASSAGE TO THE ISLAND?"

"I'm Arthur Weasley and…"

The spectral figure leaned over and whispered into his ear with a cockney accent. "Sorry Gov didn't recognize you, do you want me to continue the show for the others?"

"Show?" The still shaken Weasley repeated dumbly"

"No huh?" the man said now in a normal voice, "hey Murry, cut the effects"

The three watched in surprise as the thick and ominous bank of fog disappeared.

"Sorry about that folks but folks expect the boatmen on a ferry to Azkaban Island to act in a certain manner and they get a bit disappointed when we don't deliver," he said pulling off his hood to expose a handsome face

"Plus," he added after a moment of thought, "it keeps the tourists away."

The ferry ride to the Island was uneventful and the three Order members passed the time by talking to the boat men.

"Fudge really pissed himself the first time he saw your routine?" Tonks asked with no small amount of glee.

"Yup," the boatman said proudly, "good thing too, kept him away from the Island after he became Minister, bad enough all the stupid laws the Minister inflicted on us without having them visit all the time."

"That's Right." Murry agreed, "you might say the Ferry is sort of like a filter, keeps out some of the bad elements."

Several figures were waiting for the ferry as it pulled into Azkaban dock and as the three stepped onto the worn wooden planks that made up the ferry's end point, the figures approached.

"Would you be Messer's Weasley and Lupin?" the lead figure asked in a voice dead of inflection.

"We are," the two men answered.

"And who is your companion then?" the figure asked again in his dead voice.

"I'm Tonks and I am here by the request of your Lord," the Auror responded, annoyed at being ignored.

"One moment," the man responded.

They watched as he spent several moments whispering to his wrist, "my Apologies, I hadn't been notified that you were to be coming today, the Lord Azkaban will be meeting you in his south garden the men behind me will show you the way."

Azkaban Island appeared to be a rather dreary place filled with a population of people that seemed appalled by the absence of color.

As they walked towards the Palace the few citizens they encountered would halt all conversation, choosing instead to stare at the rare appearance of outsiders.

To Lupin, who had experienced it before it was nothing unusual but to Tonks and Arthur it only made them more aware of the strange and dangerous land that they had entered.

When they came upon the Lord Azkaban he was seated at a table wearing a dark and concealing cloak and laid out before him was a tea set.

"Please be seated, I believe that we have much to discuss," after a moment he continued, "that includes you Becky."

"But my Lord I…"

"Sit"

"Yes my Lord," the girl responded taking a seat by her master's side.

"Before I begin I would like to ask if you would feel more comfortable with separate meetings, I have no preference but if there is anything that you would wish to keep from the ears of your companions…" he trailed off.

After a moment of silent conversation, Arthur spoke for the group, "there is no need for that Lord Azkaban; I think that we are all among friends now."

"All right then, Arthur I believe that you may be a bit mystified on why I asked for you."

"Not at all Lord Azkaban, I was told that you considered me because a distant relative of mine had some connection to the Island."

"Yes while that is part of it, it is not the whole of it," he paused to conceder his answer, "while I do conceder you to be a member of my family that was only enough to bring you to my attention."

"Then why did you pick me Lord Azkaban?"

"Many of my men spent time working for the Ministry as Aurors or Unspeakables and they would not have respected a normal ministry assigned liaison, however they would respect a man that was so feared by the Dark Lord's forces during the first rise that he had a standing ten thousand Galleon bounty on his head."

Remus looked puzzled as if trying to dredge up an old half forgotten memory, Tonks on the other hand, Tonks was frozen in shock.

"You?" she stammered out. "You're the Ghost, one of my instructors at the Academy mentioned you and he said that even though you were the most publicized Unspeakable you were still considered nothing more then a myth by most of the ministry, he said that the only reason that they even knew that it was one man is because you had the interesting habit of shattering the kneecaps of any prisoners you might take."

Remus soon joined her in shock, "Arthur?"

"He said that you racked up a higher body count then most Auror Battalions," Tonks continued beginning to get excited

Arthur on the other hand, seemed more embarrassed about the revelation then anything else. "They killed several of molly's relatives and I was a bit more 'hot headed' in my youth then I am now, don't tell anyone please," he begged. "Molly and the kids still think that I was working in the department of muggle affairs during most of the first rise."

They spent the next several minutes chatting and discussing the current status of the war effort.

"Becky summon Commander Maxwell," Harry said turning to face his assistant. "I would like him to spend some time talking to Arthur and Remus here about the status of our respective forces and possible joint operations."

"As my Lord Azkaban commands."

The departure of Arthur Weasley and Remus Lupin left Harry and his assistant alone with Tonks. "Ms. Tonks, I have recently become aware of my talent for self transfiguration, so if you would not mind giving me a bit of discrete instruction…"

"No prob," replied the Auror happily. "It's best to start small by changing the pattern on your finger prints or changing your eye color."

"Really?" said Harry fascinated, "would it be possible to change the shape of my eye or finger."

"I suppose, don't know why you would want to mess about with the shape of your eye though as I imagine that it would make it a bit hard to see."

"Idle curiosity on my part I assure you, now if you would continue."

What followed were several hours of the most intense Transfiguration work that Harry had ever experienced, Tonks he mused could take McGonagall's job if she ever got tired of being an Auror.

The hard work payed off though for at the end of the lesson he was able to make several minor changes to his body.

"Thank you Tonks, your instruction was very good and I look forward to our next lesson."

"Happy to help," Tonks replyed taking her leave.

After Tonks had left, Becky turned to Harry, "if you don't mind me asking, why did you really ask her the question about the eyes Harry?"

"Do you know what causes many vision problems Becky?"

"No Harry I do not."

"Some are caused by the lenses being the wrong shape and some are caused by the whole eye being the wrong shape."

"I understand Harry."

"I thought that you might."

Harry spent the remainder of the night apparently looking into space, eyes unfocused and after a few hours of practice he went to sleep.

The next morning Harry awoke to find Becky dressed and waiting for him. "I have something important news for you Harry," the girl said with no small amount of excitement.

"What is it Becky?"

"The genealogists have completed their primary investigation of your blood line and we believe that we now know how you are the rightful Lord of Azkaban."

"Really?" Harry said interested to learn anything about his family, "what did they determine?"

"We believe that you are descended from the third son of the fifteenth Lord of Azkaban."

"Why do you believe that?"

"It is because he had four sons, three of whom died without issue and the forth left Azkaban after being estranged with his father."

"So what happened then?"

"We are not sure Harry, but somehow his bloodline passed to you through your maternal grandmother Mary Watson."

"It came through my mother?" Harry said with no small amount of surprise, "I would have thought it came down through my father since he was the one from a magical family."

"We discounted that early in the investigation when we learned that James Potter underwent an Inheritance Ritual after the death of his father."

"So the Dursleys aren't as 'normal' as they think they are hmm?" Harry stopped as he was struck by a sudden thought. "Becky listen carefully, Dudley is to be monitored and if he ever has a child with magical ability I am to be informed immediately and in the event of my death that child is then to be watched if he mistreats it in any way it is to be taken and raised here on the Island, if it is muggle then you will notify the muggle authorities do you understand."

"Yes Harry, but why would you worry about him mistreating his own child?"

"The Dursleys hate magic and anything that they consider 'abnormal' and because of that my childhood was more then a bit unpleasant."

"How so?" she asked, eager to learn more about her Lord's early life.

"When I was a child they use to force me to sleep in a cupboard under their stair case and they'd also make me cook and clean and do all the work in general."

"What else Harry?" the girl prompted quietly.

"Dudley's gang use to beat me up." Harry said laughing, "I suppose I should thank him, Looking back most of my use of accidental magic had to do with him in some way or another."

Harry shrugged his shoulders, "it wasn't a pleasant childhood but it was what I got and I suppose that I shouldn't complain, with luck I'll never have to deal with them again."

Later while Harry was in his Dueling practice with Fletcher he was surprised to notice that for once since assuming the title of Azkaban's Lord he was without his assistant's constant presence.

Feeling a bit lost without her constant presence and support he became a bit sloppy, paying for his loss of complacency when he missed several painful hexes.

She returned a few minutes later wearing an uncharacteristically smug expression "I apologize for my absence my Lord but I was forced to take care of a small matter that was unworthy of my Lord's attention."

"It's ok Becky you can do what ever you want, I was just a bit surprised when I noticed you missing," Harry said, relieved that his guide to Azkaban and its customs had returned."

"My Lord is too kind to his servant," she said, the smug expression refusing to leave her face. "I shall inform you if I am forced to again take a short leave of absence from my Lords presence."

"I told you it was fine"

Back in Surrey, a gang of several young boys was surprised to find themselves arrested after buying controlled substances from an undercover officer.

The police then spent several hours after the arrest taking the testimony of several neighborhood children that had suffered at the hands of the gang and its leader, children that were no longer afraid to speak out after seeing their tormentors dragged off in chains.

Among the arrested was one Dudley Dursley who's parents repeatedly insisted that the police had taken the wrong boy, that their 'Dudders' would never do the horrible things that he was accused of, they insisted that the children must instead be talking about their no good criminal of a nephew, a boy so terrible that he had run away from home two weeks before.

Back at Azkaban Becky continued to smirk; a nice normal life they wanted, and a nice normal life they would never have for Dudley would forever bear the stain of his eventual conviction and his parents would always be known as the family with the criminal.

Shaking her head she frowned, it wasn't enough it would never be enough but it was all she could do to the people that had so wronged her Lord without him finding out.

* * *

AN: Two chapters in a day, I'm more then a little impressed with myself. Ron's feelings about his father's promotion were a bit shallow but I think that it fits the character, nothing against him but he never seemed to conceder the deeper emotional implications of most actions. Why do the Azkaban islanders act so odd; it's because a. They have very little contact with the outside world, and b. They like to act them way that outsiders would expect them to act. Unspeakable Arthur, well all I can say is that it's always the quiet ones. I got this idea when I was reading Molly Weasley's profile in the Harry Potter Lexicon and I noticed that several people who were close relatives of hers were killed during the first rise and so I figured what would Arthur do if he exhibited a bit of the Weasley temper. I wanted to find a unique way for Harry to correct his eye sight and I have never seen a fic that had him use Metamorphmagus abilities to correct the shape of the lenses.

Thanks to all my reviewers, responses to a few of them are below.

me – Oops, it was hundred and I've gone back and fixed that

Sweden's Pride – It is a bit fast for him to start getting it all down and the only reason that he is doing so well is because the people around him are helping him. For example in most of his meetings Becky is whispering a lot of what he needs to know into his ear. He didn't know he was a Metamorphmagus a spell was performed to show if he had any skill at self transfiguration and it showed that he could not be an Animagus but that he did have the potential to become a Metamorphmagus.

athenakitty – Draco will survive but he will not change. He still has his old wand. He will learn a little but it will take months if not years to fully master them. Yes Mr. Weasley will get his extra pay. Fudge and the Dursleys will get theirs. Draco will not end up in the poor house.

HaliOmani – Thank you

Bubba, the killer tomatoe - Heh

a reader – Rorscharch was the man who invented the ink blot test which I have always thought was interesting.

Felis Non Domesticus – Harry took the high road and forgot about him, his people did not. I thought that it was the best possible response that I could make.

That Kid Crying In The Corner – Not sure who he will go as, but either way I wouldn't worry about the Island.

David M. Potter – Remus will probably learn at about the same time as Hermione, in the next chapter or two.

Kalee – At this time I have him going back to school for social reasons and so that I can show just how difficult it is for a student who knows more then half of his peers and has to govern an Island. If I had forgotten the smell I would have been more then a bit embarrassed, the devil is in the details after all.

Stikye – Dark is the theme of Azkaban as you saw in this chapter, you also get a few hints on why that is.


	6. How do you Punish a Dementor?

Disclaimer: You all know that I don't own most of these characters.

* * *

How do you Punish a Dementor?

* * *

They were restless, uneasy, every day the draw they felt towards the cursed Island became stronger and stronger to them it was as if some invisible hand had taken hold of the chains that bound their souls.

For weeks they had been trying to resist pull but now resistance had become impossible and it took all of their power to prevent themselves from moving towards the prison that enslaved them; even a moment of inattention would be disastrous.

After a time one of them makes a keening screech as it began to move against its will, as the invisible hand began reeling it towards damnation.

Over the next hour one by one every Dementor in the service of Lord Voldemort began to move back towards Azkaban prison, their time of freedom at an end.

One by one they came to the end of land, only a thin strip of water separated them from their destination and for a bit of time the obstacle provided them their last moments of freedom.

That all changed when the fog descended and the Ferry arrived.

"The Warden of Azkaban prison is requesting an audience Harry" Becky said to her Lord and Master "he says that the Dementors have begun to return."

"Have him meet us here" Harry replied "we can meet over breakfast."

"Good morning my Lord" the skeletal man greeted "I have some rather good news for you."

"Good morning Warden, Becky's told me that the Dementors have begun to return to us."

"Yes my Lord, they resisted for quite some time but in the end they were unable to break your Lordship's control."

"Excellent, now that they're back I trust that you will think of a suitable way of impressing upon them the sheer amount of displeasure that I feel at their rebellion?"

"As you command my Lord" the Warden replied, face lighting up in a smile "perhaps bricking them into the walls to restrict their mobility and ability to betray your Lordship again?"

"Very good, I'll leave the details to you" the Lord Azkaban said with no small amount of satisfaction "now that that's taken care of I have some other issues to discuss with you."

"Yes my Lord?"

"The recent breakout has convinced me of the need to increase our security" holding up a hand to ward off protest "I realize that it could have never been possible without the active assistance of the Dementors but I would still like to raise our security."

"What do you Suggest my Lord?" asked the Warden happy that he wasn't going to shoulder any blame.

"First I don't want to place so much trust in the Dementors so I would like you to increase the human guard force, second I would like you to contact the goblins at Gringotts for ideas on possible security and provided that they would not interfere with the existing wards I would like them to emplace their own wards using Goblin Magic."

"Why use goblin wards my Lord, why not regular wizarding" the man asked curious about the reasoning.

"The more variety in our wards the more difficulty it will be to penetrate them, I would also like you to check all prisoners for Animagus ability."

"Why my Lord?' the man asked eager for more ways to insure the reputation of his prison.

"Sirius Black was able to use his ability to ward off the effects of Dementors and to eventually escape the Island" Harry paused to compose himself "I would also like the paperwork to make him a free citizen of the Island."

"But...why my Lord, this is the man who is said to have betrayed your own parents" the Warden asked, confused at his Master's sudden forgiveness of one of the most hated men in the wizarding world.

"He was framed, he was my god father and he was framed" Harry gave a sad smile "I may not be able to do much for him but I can give him his freedom posthumously, with that in mind I would like all current prisoners and any new prisoners to be interrogated under Veritaserum to insure their guilt or innocence."

"Yes my Lord, is that all" the Warden asked his thoughts running at hundreds of miles per hour.

"I want all prisoners to be checked every week or two to make sure that they have not been replaced, that is how Barty Crouch Jr. was able to make his escape" after a moment "and see about recruiting some muggle prison workers so that we can incorporate some of the more mundane security features that they are familiar with, I do not want only magical methods insuring their captivity."

"Yes my Lord" the man said writing his instructions down "if I may ask, how did you know all of this my Lord?"

"Most of the escapees have tried to kill me at one time or another, starting with Crouch" Harry responded dryly "also feel free to enact any measures that you believe might make the prison more secure."

"It shall be done my Lord" said the man standing "with your permission I shall take my leave so that I might enact your security measures."

"Do it" Harry said with a nod and a smile, then turning to his assistant "what else do I have today Becky?"

"You have your lessons with Ms. Tonks in half an hour Harry" she responded after checking her book "after that you have your lessons with Guard Sergeant Fletcher."

"So a typical day then?"

"Yes Harry" she said nodding in agreement.

Standing, they made their way to the room where Harry would have his self transfiguration lessons with Tonks.

The sound of someone tripping over their own two feet alerted them to the arrival of the clumsy Auror.

"Good morning" Tonks said cheerfully as she entered the room "today we're going to work on changing the size of your nose."

The lesson went well until "hey Lord, how am I suppose to check your progress if I can never see your face."

"You are correct Tonks, how silly of me" he responded calmly, heart ready to burst.

It was then that Tonks got her first look at the current Lord of Azkaban; his high aristocratic cheekbones gave definition to his face, two piercing blue eyes stared at her from below his dark black locks of hair and in the center of his face was the largest most grotesque nose that she had ever seen.

"As you can see Tonks" he said ignoring her giggles "I have a bit of work to do before I am able to master this particular part of the body."

"Don't worry about it" Tonks said after regaining her composure "it took me forever to get noses right, besides the work you did to your eyes more then makes up for it."

"My eyes?" Harry replied with hesitation worried that he might have been caught.

"Yeah, the way you gave your self slit pupils is wicked" Tonks replied with a grin "I'm going to have to try that myself someday."

"Ah" Harry said with more confidence "That is not a piece of self transfiguration it is how they look normal, one of the things that marks me as a bit different from most people."

At the prison the Warden was chuckling with glee as he watched the last of the Dementors get sealed up into one of the walls of the high security section of Azkaban Prison, they would forever pay the price for betraying their rightful master in favor of the Dark Lord and their presence in the walls meant that the prison would not lose their services.

Making his way from cell to cell he began to check to make sure that none of his prisoners had escaped, smiling he thought back to the conversation that he had had with his lord earlier that day.

At first he had been worried when the Lord of Azkaban had begun making changes to the Prison, years of dealing with ministry assigned incompetents had made him weary of the instructions of those who had never run a prison but after hearing the suggestions he had become ecstatic.

Not only was the Lord of Azkaban giving him suggestions that had merit, he was allowing the Warden lee way to improve them.

He thought that he could not have become happier until he heard the reasons behind the suggestions, the reason that he knew so much about prison security; every escaped prisoner was connected to him, the only two successful escapes without inside assistance had tried to both kill and protect Lord Azkaban.

The moment he had heard that, any doubts that his new Lord could be anything but genuine evaporated because it all made sense the Island had allowed Sirius Black to escape because it sensed Sirius's need to protect the it's true master and when Crouch had escaped he used his first moment of freedom in an attempt at revenge upon his captor.

At that moment, filled with pride he re avowed his vows to the one true Lord of Azkaban long may he reign.

Back in Surrey Dudley was not having a good time.

"So you say this criminal cousin of yours was responsible for everything?" asked Chief Inspector Wallace in his most sincere voice "it must have been terrible to live in fear."

"It was Sir" Dudley replied great tears rolling down his cheeks "wasn't so bad when my dad could still lock him in the cupboard but ever since he started hanging out with those freaks, Dad's been to afraid to do anything."

"Tell me about this cupboard" asked the Inspector "it might be important for us to know when we do the miscreant's profile."

"Yes Sir" Dudley said hiding his smile "up until he was eleven he use to live in the cupboard under the stair case and my dad use to lock him in it when ever he got to misbehaving."

"Sensible things to do I'm sure" said the man with a nod "now tell me about these freaks, are they some sort of gang perhaps."

"I'm not sure" Dudley's voice cracked as if he was afraid to continue "I just know that this summer they told my dad that if my cousin was forced to do to much work that they would get us."

"How terrible" the inspector replied shaking his head disgusted that such a thing could happen "where is your cousin now?"

"I don't know, he disappeared a couple weeks ago" Dudley smirked it was all so easy, fake a few tears and blame Harry he would be out and back on the street in no time "can I go home now."

"Not just yet Dudley, there are still a few things we have to work out" motioning to one of the guards to take the fat boy back to his cell "we'll talk again later Dudley, in the mien time try to get some rest."

Ignoring the fat boy's protests as he was taken from the room Wallace frowned to himself, what began as a case on the purchase of controlled substances had rapidly become a possible murder investigation.

Sighing he gathered up his paper work, murder or run away some terrible things had happened to a poor boy named Harry Potter; Chief Inspector Wallace vowed that he would find justice for young Harry and that he would bring justice to the Dursleys.

The Dark Lord was angry "what do you mean 'the Dementors are gone'" he said in a soft voice.

"They are gone my Lord" said the low level death eater kissing the hem of the Dark Lord's robe "they left early this morning."

Narrowing his eyes "you will find where my Dementors gone or I will show you just how displeased I am at failure."

"Yes my Lord" said the Death Eater eager to leave the Dark Lord's presence "I shall find out at once."

Voldemort was not having a good month; first his largest source of funding had disappeared, now his Dementors had vanished what would go wrong next.

When he found out the cause of his problems he would devote more resources to ensuring their death then he had on any single individual save Albus Dumbledore and that Potter brat.

And thinking about the Potter brat reminded him of something, the boy's birthday was coming up and he really must do something to commemorate the occasion.

Around the house the minions of the Dark Lord cringed as his sinister laughter flooded the house.

At the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix a meeting was taking place.

"You saw his face" Albus enquired with interest "what did it look like?"

"He has very fine features but the weird thing is his eyes" Tonks answered after a moment of thought "the pupils were slit, like a cat or a snake."

"Interesting, thank you Ms. Tonks" Albus turned to address some of the other members of the Order "what about you Remus, do you have anything to report?"

"I haven't spent much time around the Lord of Azkaban, I've spent most of my time in the library" Remus replied "it is simply amazing how large it is, the Librarian wouldn't stop praising him though if that helps."

"Arthur?"

"I've spent most of my time on the Island with his Guard" Arthur responded with a grin "with them on our side we can't lose, most of them are former Aurors or Unspeakables and the rest are just as good."

"Good work, Severus what do you news to you have to report?"

"The Dementors have left the Dark Lord's service as you predicted they would" the spy reported "I believe that the Dark Lord is also having a bit of trouble with his funding, he had Draco in his chambers for quite some time and based on personal experience that would suggest that he was getting creative with his punishments."

"Why do you think that he is having monetary issues then?" one of the Order members asked.

"Because" Snape replied with a sneer "up until now, the only use he has for the boy is his money and the boy's punishment would indicate that something has gone wrong with it"

"However" he added after a moment of thought "the fact that Draco has remained alive has suggested that he was able to provide 'he who must not be named' with another reason for his continued existence."

"Thank you Severus, the Order appreciates your efforts" Dumbledore said with a smile "does anybody have any news of Harry?"

Hearing that every Order member looked around the table, hopeful that one of their number might have some small amount of news.

"All right then" Albus said sadly "I here by call this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix to a close."

* * *

AN: The reason that Tonks did not recognize Harry is because he has gathered enough skill in self transfiguration that he is able to change several of the small details about his appearance which is enough to fool most people in addition to that he drew her attention to his nose so that she wouldn't give the rest of his face more then a once over, besides Harry is the last person she would expect to see on the Island of Azkaban. Harry's eyes got changed in the first chapter.

uten – He has already learned some of the Dark Arts in his lessons and he will soon be going all out. Harry will go back to school because that is where all of his friends are, doesn't mean that he'll stay. My thoughts on Ron parallel yours; this fic will not have the petty and Jealous Ron that is in so many others though. Harry will eventually stop forgiving and forgetting so easily in this case I was using it as an example of just how loyal the people around him are, if Becky didn't know that Harry would disapprove then the Dursleys would all be sitting in cells guarded by men who would like nothing better then to find new and inventive ways of expressing their displeasure at the treatment that their Lord was given. The Unspeakables were another show of just how much loyalty that the people of Azkaban feel towards their Lord. Glad you picked up on Becky's uncertainty in dealing with the muggle world, while she does have some contacts (as shown by Dudley's arrest) these are mostly as the result of muggle borne citizens of Azkaban and any contacts through the Ministry. Didn't think how well it would compliment Hermione and her knowledge of the muggle world though, may have to steal that idea.

Phobos – I may have to use this later, even if I don't I wrote the possible scene below.

"You" Fudge yelled at the nearest Auror "I want this boy arrested and taken immediately to Azkaban prison."

"Do you know who this man is Minister?" the Auror asked incredulously "he's..."

"Yes I know he's Harry bloody Potter" Fudge sputtered "and if you don't arrest him I'll have your job and shortly afterward you will be placed into a cell next to his."

The poor Auror just looked at Harry with an embarrassed expression.

Taking pity on the poor man Harry decided to resolve the situation "let him have his moment" he whispered to the beleaguered law enforcement officer "and when we get back to the Island I'd be honored if you would dine with me."

"Yes Lord Azkaban and thank you" said the now grinning Auror.

Lady Urquentha – Thanks I'm really trying to keep things original in this fic, glad you like the Nightmares they are one of my favorite things to write.

That Kid Crying In The Corner – Don't see any possible 'spawn of Dudley' showing up in the plot and I only included it because I wanted to show that Harry was beginning to plan ahead when prompted. I had a rather amusing thought when I read your review.

Witches Weekly's 10 least dateable men

He who Must not be Named – On the plus side he does have a lot of minions, on the minus is the very large possibility that he will use unforgivables on you.

The Lord of Caer Azkaban – On the Plus side he is rich and he has several titles, on the minus he lives on Azkaban and commands Dementors enough said.

Peter 'Wormtail" Pettigrew – On the Plus Side he has the Order of Merlin, on the minus he's a rat, literally.

spacecatdet – Oops, never been to London.

fopalup1 – He was not dressed in the way that the first store owner expected the great Harry Potter to dress, and after getting his new robes he was wearing a dark hooded robe, also not the thing that Harry is expected to wear. Heh, Hermione's reaction to all of the people of the Island will be quite interesting. I do have plans for Becky's parents and she is a witch. Sirius is currently considered a prisoner, Harry can and had him made a Free Citizen with a word, not that it will do him much good now that he's dead. Very perceptive on the whole going back to school issue, yes Harry is quite advanced in some ways but he still has whole gaps in his education on the other hand he may find it more difficult go to school and run an Island at the same time.

a reader – Thanks and Cool all my travel time is in Asia only spent a short amount of time in southern Europe and haven't had a chance to go back yet.

Black-Hood – She hasn't seen his face yet.

Me – Yep, he has grown overly dependent on her

solo2733 - Forgot all about those novels, a very good comparison to the people of Azkaban though.

A citizen of Azkaban – He was away from his Island far too long.


	7. Rescue

Disclaimer: I do not own most of the things herein.

* * *

Rescue

* * *

Percy sat at his desk outside the Minister's office, frowning slightly when he noticed the approach of his father he forced himself to smile.

"Hello Percy." Arthur tried to smile as he greeted his son, "how are you doing?"

"I am doing perfectly fine father, if you have come to meet with the Minister then I am afraid that I will have to ask you to schedule an appointment." Percy pausing to look down his nose at the man, "he is quite busy and you workers will have to realize that he doesn't have the time to waist on your petty concerns."

"That's not what I came here to do Percy; I came to talk to you."

"I don't see that we have anything to discuss father, we have both made our opinions perfectly clear."

"But surely you realize that the Minister was wrong?" Arthur said desperately, "surely you realize that you were wrong, please come home your mother misses you?"

"The Minister has seen fit to bring me into his confidence on that matter father." Percy replied with a superior smirk, "he was simply looking out for public good by trying to prevent a panic, something that arrogant boy of yours and that old fool at Hogwarts were apparently unwilling to conceder."

Percy felt a pang of guilt as he watched his father storm off, he wanted nothing better then to cry out and tell his father everything, to be part of the family again but in the end he did not.

Three hours later Percy checked his watch and nodded with satisfaction, he had worked exactly one hour and fifteen minutes after his quitting time, enough to give the impression that he was a hard worker but not enough to annoy anyone.

Taking up a piece of paper he wrote out a report on the recent problems with the Minister's public image and a list of possible solutions, looking down he noted with satisfaction that the paper was filled with spelling and grammar errors and noted that none could blame him for throwing it out.

Walking out of the office he made sure to crumple the report into a ball as he slipped it into his left pants pocket.

His route home that night took him through the park and he made sure that he tossed his crumpled report into the third dust bin in the north east corner of the park.

He just hoped that the information encoded in the report was important enough to justify the sacrifices that he was making.

He was beginning to think that they might suspect him but he had turned down all the chances his organization had given for recall, he had given up everything to ensure that his employer would receive a steady flow of information; his friends, his family, and … Penny.

It was because of this that he could not leave his assignment, because of this that he would stick with it until the end, he had given up everything and now all he had left was duty.

Entering his flat he plaintively called out "I'm home" hoping to hear his girlfriend's joyful reply but as always their was no response, not since Penny had left.

Dropping his shoulders he fought off the urge to cry, driving Penny away was the hardest thing that he had ever done but in the end it was the right decision at least this way she would be safe.

Later as he ate his cold meal, alone in his apartment Percy wondered if the wizarding world appreciated men like him, men who were willing to give up anything to keep them safe, men who's names the protected would never know.

Their was no joy in Percy as he awoke the next morning and he cursed himself when the thought of writing to Penny arose in his mind.

He knew that she would take him back but he also knew that as things were she was safe, she was safe so long as she stayed away from him.

Gathering his things he once again donned the mask of an arrogant boot lick and went to work praying that this would be the last day, praying that his deception would be found so that his pain could finally end.

At Caer Azkaban, Harry was also wakening to a brand new day filled with endless meetings and practice.

Or at least that is what it was beginning to feel like, "what do I have today Becky?"

"The Merchant's guild is requesting an audience," Becky said after checking her book, "they wish to petition a temporary suspension of the tariff on imported goods."

"What are the implications of this move Becky?"

"I believe that they are requesting it in response to your orders to modernize the prison, if the tariffs are removed for the beginning phase of the construction then they would be able to increase their profit margins by a large percentage."

"Do you have any thoughts on this Becky?" Harry asked, eager for her council.

"I would suggest that you do it Harry, the loss in revenue would be negligible for you in comparison to the potential rewards," she answered after a moment of thought.

"What sort of rewards?" Harry asked a bit puzzled, "I would think that I would be losing revenue."

"Yes you would be Harry, but the savings that the merchant guild would place them deeply in your debt."

"What purpose does the tariff serve normally?"

"It was originally emplaced as a protective tariff to aid development on the Island." Becky responded, "and I believe that the guild is requesting the suspension because of the potential for temporary rewards."

"Draft the bill that would allow a temporary suspension but add the amendment that before tariff can be suspended for an item they must first insure that no local source can be found, that way we can keep both sides happy I think." Harry said with a nod, "do you see any problems with that Becky?"

"No Harry, I believe that it will work this time."

"Good, let's get this meeting out of the way so that we can get in some practice."

The meeting with the representative for Azkaban's mercantile interests went well and Harry was able to get to his dueling practice much more quickly then he had thought he would.

"Again," the sadistic bastard demanded. "Come on my Lord, how do you expect to succeed in your goals if you can't run up a measly hill."

"Gets a little tough after the tenth time," Harry mumbled under his breath as he approached his nemesis, putting on a bust of speed he managed to get half way up before he lost his momentum.

Cursing, he made it to the top and turned around to return to the side of his trainer.

Once he had returned one look at the smug face of his tormentor sent him back up the cursed hill, "won't forget to secure your fallen opponents after this will you my Lord?" the man called after him as he had returned to his climb.

Returning a second time the man motioned for him to assume a 'good dueling position' and spells began to fly.

"Excellent my Lord," the man said with no small amount of enthusiasm as he took his wand back from the now grinning Harry. "I must admit Sir, that I was a bit worried that you wouldn't be able to keep your skills up after I tired you out."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, surprised to learn that their had been a point to his exercise beyond driving a lesson home.

"Teaches you to duel while tired Sir," he said stretching to remove some of the kinks, "don't always have the luxury of going into a fight fully rested."

"That's good to…" Harry trailed off as his earring drew his attention.

"Harry," Hermione's voice sounded more frightened then he ever remembered hearing it. "Death Eaters are breaking through the wards that the Order put on my parents, I can't get in contact with Ron."

"Calm down Hermione," Harry said hoping that his voice didn't convey any of the worry he felt, turning to his assistant. "Get me Maxwell right now and tell him to bring everything he needs to take out a few Death Eaters at Hermione's Location."

"Don't worry Hermione, help is on the way." He took a deep breath, "I'm going to have to stop talking to you for a little bit while I take care of some things, so just stay calm and everything will be all right."

A dozen pops alerted Harry to the presence of his Guard Commander and several of his men. "Maxwell I want you to repeal an attack on the Granger house from an unknown number of Death Eaters, if it isn't too much trouble I want a prisoner or two but your highest priority is to remain the safety of the Granger family and your men."

"As you command my Lord"

Hermione was worried, thinking logically she knew that there was very little chance that Harry would be able to summon aid from the Order soon enough to save her family, sitting alone in her room she contemplated how to tell her parents that the wards were falling.

Her musings were interrupted when the door to her room burst open and her parents were pushed in, well this is it she thought to herself as she closed her eyes prepared for the end.

"By the orders of my Lord Azkaban and for your own safety you are ordered to remain in this room until the cessation of hostilities," commanded a young feminine voice.

Hermione opened her eyes in shock; this was not the way she expected a Death Eater to act, looking at the source of the voice she was surprised to notice a pretty young girl of about her age, "who are you?"

"I am my Lord Azkaban's personal servant and assistant," the girl replied with no small amount of pride, "and I have been charged with your safety while my Lord destroys the vermin outside."

"Lord Azkaban?" Hermione asked incredulously, "I always thought that the stories of the immortal Lord of Azkaban were nothing more then a myth."

"My Lord Azkaban is anything but a myth," the girl said with a bit of heat. "He is a grand and most noble ruler who has taken a personal interest in your Ladyship's safety."

Outside Harry was in his element, he had chosen to accompany the assault on the Death Eaters and he watched in satisfaction as his men crushed the last hints of resistance.

"Commander Maxwell's compliments Sir," the young Guard said nervously to attract Harry's attention, "he reports that we have taken four prisoners and killed two my Lord."

"Any losses of our own?" Harry asked, worried for the safety of his men.

"Nothing serious my Lord."

"Good, inform Commander Maxwell that I am quite pleased with the results of this little action."

Hermione watched all of this through her window, something about the figure in the center that was familiar to her, his face was familiar but something about the way he moved, as if she should know him by that alone.

After a few minutes of observation it came to her, ignoring the protests of the woman sent to protect her she stormed out of her room and out of the house.

"How could you put your self at risk like that?" Hermione screamed at him. "Do you know how worried I was about you?"

The guards of Azkaban watched in shock and amusement as a small bushy haired girl walked up and began berating their Lord.

Their momentary inattention was all that was needed for Antonin Dolohov to make his move.

The Death Eater had been hiding in the bushes from the attackers in hopes of escape but now, now he had a better idea.

He didn't know how that little bitch had survived his first curse but with the power that he was going to put into the second, she wouldn't be able to repeat the trick.

Moments after the hex erupted from his wand a dozen stunners impacted his body but of course by then it was too late.

Hermione saw none of this as the curse got closer and closer to her, moments before impact she was thrown to the ground by the impact of another body on hers.

Looking up to see her savior she was surprised to see that it was the girl from before, "but why? Why would you throw yourself in front of a curse meant for me?"

"My Lord Azkaban ordered me to keep you safe," the girl gasped through labored breaths, "so I must do so even should it cost me my life."

Harry saw none of this for it was at this moment he was advancing on the fallen form of Dolohov.

"Stop." He yelled to the men gathered around the fallen form of the death eater. "Don't Kill Him, I Command It."

"But my Lord," one of the surprised guard protested. "He harmed one of us, he deserves to die."

"No, he deserves much worse." Harry replied with a sinister grin, "I want him back at Azkaban learning over the course of several years just why angering me is such a bad idea."

"Yes my Lord," the now happy guard replied, "it shall be as you command."

Rushing back to the fallen girl Harry found her cradled in Hermione's arms. "Becky?" He said softly taking her hand "are you all right?"

"I shall be fine my Lord," she said coughing up a bit of blood, then in a frightened whisper, "please don't leave me."

"I won't." he assured the frightened girl, "I Need a Healer Now."

The healer turned out to be a competent looking young man; ripping the robes away from the sight of the injury he was surprised to find a damaged dragon hide vest rather then the broken flesh he expected to see.

After carefully removing the vest he cast several diagnostic charms to check the extent of the injuries, "good news my Lord, all she has is a few broken ribs."

"Is she in any danger?" asked the concerned Lord of Azkaban.

"Not anymore my Lord," the man said engrossed in his work. "One of the ribs punctured her lung but with me here it won't cause any problems."

As the young man worked Harry continued to hold his assistants hand, repeatedly assuring her that she would be fine and that things would work out.

"I'm done my Lord," the young healer said respectfully, "she just needs a few days of rest and she will be fine."

"Maxwell," Harry yelled out in a voice filled with authority.

"Yes my Lord?" The man replied, walking up to the group.

"Take any escaped prisoners back to the island, and find out how they knew how to find this house from one of the captured death eaters before handing them to the ministry," after a moment of thought he added, "put a watch over this house I don't want a repeat of this incident."

"Yes my Lord will that me all?"

"I'm going to summon my Coach to take Becky back to the Island so you have over all command, do what ever you think is necessary and report to me when you get back."

Raising one arm up Harry snapped as Becky had taught him to do on that first day, and then he gathered the girl in his arms to carry her into it.

"Wait," Hermione yelled as she saw her best friend getting into the black carriage. "I'm going with you."

"But Hermione what about your parents?" Harry asked hoping to stall her.

"They'll be fine, I told one of you men to tell them that I was going to be with you." She said climbing into the seat across from him, "and that nice Commander Maxwell said that he would be happy to pick up my things before he left."

Seeing that he had no choice in the matter, Harry closed the door to his coach and ordered the driver to take them home.

* * *

AN: The hill is taken from my experiences at basic training, behind our company area we had a large hill and we had to run up it several times a day so I gave it to Harry in hopes that he would enjoy it as much as I did.

Thanks to all the reviewers without you I would never be able to keep the ideas flowing, comments to a few are below.

bellashade - Prison is on a separate part of the Island.

athenakitty – The Dementors were bricked up into the walls so that they are forced to do their job but unable to move or do anything more then contemplate eternity. Fudge will get his in good time oh yes Fudge will get his. Tonks is mostly surprised because all she heard were the stories about a semi mythical Unspeakable in the first rise and connecting him to 'mild mannered' Arthur Weasley was a bit odd for her. Becky has done all that she is going to do, however now the police are very interested in the disappearance of Harry Potter.

OldNick – Thanks, you are correct about Becky doing what ever would make Harry happy. No idea what the match will be but it might be fun to try H/Hr/B just to see if I could do it.

That Kid Crying In The Corner – They can die without the memories but it would take a long time, this way their punishment forces them to do their duty to the prison by lowering the chances for escape in the high security areas but removes their freedom. Tried to drop a few hints on what Albus and the rest of the wizarding world might think of the Lord of Azkaban.

thenewestmarauder – She is someone who has spent her entire life training to serve.

Toras – The order has his things and he will be getting them back soon.

Q-star1 – Possible, don't know how I would do it though.

Ally – It will all be explained, as a hint look at the meeting with Fudge and the way that Dumbledore refers to the Lord of Azkaban.

uten – Becky has a lot of power but very little idea of how the muggle world works, she was able to tarnish the Dursley's reputation but she had no idea that things would go further on the other hand if she ever finds out that things escalated from her original idea then she would have no problem. Give any ideas that you wish and I may use them, and thanks for any that I may use. I figured that Harry who has had close contact with the escapees would have some ideas on how to improve things. Harry is getting his Oclumency training from the ex Auror Fletcher who is also training him in dueling, guess I should have made that more clear. It will take some time for Harry to go riding on that colt; colt is about a year old so it will take another year before he can start to be ridden. Harry will be receiving riding lessons at some point as well as lessons on how to use a sword, at the moment he is focusing on getting enough skills to stay alive and ignoring some of the traditional skills that any gentleman should have, like dancing. At the moment Harry has not shared the prophecy with anyone that may change in the future.

creative reader – I get happy every time someone says that they never thought that the Island had more then the prison because that would suggest that this idea has never been written before. As for your fic, it is quite interesting seeing Harry with MPD and I look forward to seeing where you take this concept. Ok on the new chap.

Scott – Thanks.

Wandmaker – the second that the people of Azkaban heard that their Lord had returned they stopped paying attention to the ministry laws but since the story spends most of it's time following Harry I haven't had a chance to show that. I will post some of the history of the Lord of Azkaban when I think of something that is worth posting. At this time I am not confident enough to give Tonks such a major role but that may change.

Hexe605 – Harry is going to return to Hogwarts for a short time at least. Wish I had thought of the yellow eyes before, may use them at some point.

Stikye – He changed his eyes earlier in the story.

lucas13 – This soon enough for you?


	8. Revelations

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Revelations

* * *

"How is she?" Hermione's question broke the silence.

"She's asleep right now." Harry looked fondly at the woman in his arms, "I wish I knew what inspired such devotion that she was willing to die on my orders."

"What do you mean on your orders?" Hermione enquired.

"She works for me," Harry replied. "I am the Lord of Caer Azkaban and she is my servant."

"Don't play games Harry." Hermione said becoming a bit cross, "I know that you couldn't be Azkaban."

"Why is that?" Harry asked mildly, "is it so difficult to believe that I 'the great Harry Potter' could be associated with so much Dark Magic?"

"No it's because the Lord of Azkaban isn't human." Hermione said beginning to get worried that Harry was telling the truth. "Back in third year when the Dementors were around the school I did some research on them, I wanted to find some way to keep you safe."

Hermione began to hyperventilate, "and one of the things that I learned was that no human could ever control Dementors, the books all agreed that only the Immortal Lord of the Island of Azkaban could ever inspire so much fear that the Dementors would submit to him, only another more powerful demon could force them to do as they were told."

"I am the Lord of Azkaban prison Hermione," Harry said with a small grin.

"But how Harry?" Then in a small voice she added, "you're not a demon are you?"

"Not everything you read is true Hermione, you know that?" Harry shook his head, "and the Lord of Azkaban being anything but human is a myth too."

"But all the books agreed," Hermione responded quietly.

"They were wrong, why did you yell at me anyway?" Harry knew that he had asked the wrong question as soon as he saw the fire in her eyes.

"Why was I so angry?" Hermione responded in a low dangerous voice, "why was I a bit upset with you?"

"Yes," Harry replied calmly.

"Why were you doing something so dangerous?" Hermione practically screamed, "do you know what could have happened?"

"Yes I do," Harry said firmly interrupting her tirade, looking meaningfully at his sleeping assistant, "yes I do."

The remainder of the ride passed in silence, one contemplating the changes in her friend, the other contemplating the frightening power he had been given over the people of Azkaban that they would die on his word.

Becky awoke to feeling warm and safe, opening her eyes she looked up to see the face of her Lord.

"You're awake?" Harry greeted her cheerfully, "we just arrived at the castle and we just have to get you to bed."

"Yes my Lord," Becky replied trying to get up.

The wonderful feeling of warmth tightened around her, "no you don't, just relax while I get you to bed."

"But my Lord, it's not proper." She protested weakly, "I will walk to my bed."

"No, you will not be walking and that is an order."

Nodding weakly Becky just snuggled up closer to the warmth and went back to sleep.

Hermione trailed after Harry as he carried his injured servant through the wide maze like halls of Caer Azkaban lost in her thoughts.

"Could you open this door Hermione?"

Startled she looked up forcing him to repeat his request, "all right, what is this place?"

"My bed room," Harry replied with a grin. "Just let me get Becky to bed and we can talk."

"You're going to put her in your bed?"

"No, I'm going to put her in her bed." Harry replied as he pushed through the half open door to Becky's room.

Gently, he removed her boots and the remains of her torn robes before placing her under the blankets and tucking her in.

Holding his hand up for silence he motioned Hermione out of the room and closed the door.

"I can't believe you." Hermione hissed, "making that poor girl sleep in that little room off yours, why do you do it Harry? I never thought you would act like this."

"Because if I don't allow her to sleep in there I will find her sleeping outside my door in the morning," Harry replied quietly.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, her anger cooling.

"My first night here I asked for privacy then she smiled, bowed, and slept in the hall in front of my door," Harry said looking lost.

"Have you tried explaining things to her that she doesn't have to do all this?" Hermione asked sympathetically.

"I've tried." Harry said, head in hands, "but she has ways of interpreting my orders to mean what she wants them to mean if she doesn't just say that it would be improper and dismiss it."

Harry rubbed his eyes tiredly, "can we talk more in the morning Hermione, I'm just so tired right now."

"Ok Harry." She responded, somehow she didn't think that he was talking about a need for sleep.

"The door to the left of this one is another bedroom which you can use if you like," he said pulling off his boots, "we'll talk in the morning."

Harry awoke to find a pale faced Becky standing in her usual spot, "good morning Harry, did you sleep well?"

"What are you doing out of bed?"

"I believe that I am well enough to resume my usual duties," she said struggling to stand up straight. "what would you like for breakfast?"

"Get back in bed." Harry replied, "I don't want you to re injure your self."

"I am fine my Lord, it is nothing," she said quickly.

Harry just got out of bed and placed Becky in the spot which he had just vacated, "do not move from that spot until I return that is an order."

"Yes Harry," she responded meekly, "if that is your command."

Walking to the door to Hermione's room he gave it a quick knock, "you awake Hermione?"

"Yes, come in Harry"

"I'm going to order breakfast in my room so that I can keep Becky from moving around too much, would you like to join us?"

"All right," she responded a bit dully still a bit overwhelmed by the events.

Motioning her to follow him the moved back in to the room to see Becky struggling to rise.

"Stay Down." Harry said with a bit of anger in his voice, "you will rest until you are healed and you will like it."

"But my Lord, it isn't proper for the servant to remain seated when your Lordship enters the room."

"It is if you are injured." Harry responded gently, then with a bit of exasperation, "and I told you it's ok to call me Harry around Hermione, you don't have to call me Lord."

"Yes my Lord," she said with an impish gri,n "do you wish me to order breakfast?"

Breakfast was ordered and delivered after Becky made a few notations in her ever present book.

They chatted about nothing important while they ate, by unspoken agreement each party making an effort to avoid anything serious.

"Becky, I want Maxwell to send up someone to give a report on what they learned from the prisoners when he has a moment," after a moment of thought, "and have the library send up some books so that you have something to read during your convalescence."

"But what about you?" Becky asked, her voice filled with worry, "how will you take care of yourself if I'm not there to help?"

"I'll manage somehow, and if it would make you feel better I promise to stay here as much as possible."

Hermione watched all this in silent wonder, what had happened to her friend to make him change from the somewhat awkward boy to this confident Lord in front of her.

"Library?" Hermione asked beginning to get excited, "you have a Library?"

"I have two of them," Harry replied with a grin/ "I'll show you the main library after I talk to Maxwell."

"He is waiting for you outside Harry." Becky spoke up, "he has just arrived and he says that he has some rather important information for you."

"All right, Hermione would you mind staying here to keep Becky company while I talk to Maxwell?" Harry ordered politely, "I'll show you the library after I'm done with my conversation."

Walking out the door before she had a chance to respond, Harry quickly walked to his meeting.

"Well?" he asked his man, "what have you learned."

"Not much I'm afraid my Lord," the head of Azkaban's guard replied, "what we do know is that a clerk in the Minister's office is either passing or selling information to Voldemort's forces."

"Any idea whom?"

"No my Lord," the man replied, "but MOPS has an agent in place to investigate."

"What is MOPS?"

"MOPS is an acronym for the Ministry Office of Professional Standards, not surprised you haven't heard of it my Lord," the Commander said with a grin, "they like to keep a low profile, the job that they perform is to police the Ministry for signs of corruption, espionage, ties to the Dark, that sort of thing."

"Are they trustworthy?"

"Nominally they are under the command of the Department of Mysteries and the Unspeakables my Lord."

"Good, offer to share with them any information of our investigation into the Minister."

"It shall be as you command my Lord," Maxwell replied with a nod.

"Good work Commander, I will leave you to your duties."

"Yes my Lord," the Commander bowed as he took his leave.

Returning to his room Harry found the two girls chatting about the history of the Island, upon seeing Harry's entrance Hermione practically flew out of her chair in excitement.

"Can we go to the library now?" She asked excitement coloring her voice.

"If you want," Harry grinned. "I'll be right back Becky so stay put."

Hermione's excitement grew and grew with every step they took towards their final destination, finally when she thought that she was ready to burst with excitement they arrived.

Entering, she was amazed by the sheer number of books on display in the greeting area alone.

"Oh Harry it's so wonderful," she said throwing her arms around her best friend, "thank you so much for bringing me here."

"If you have any trouble finding anything just ask for Allmus the head librarian," then Harry added with a grin, "and if you ever decide to leave this place have one of the guards lead you back to the Lord's private chambers."

Hermione just nodded in excitement and dashed off to explore the stacks.

Back at the Ministry, Percy had just arrived for another day in his private hell.

Checking the listening devices that he had placed near a co workers desk he was amused to find that while the man was quite fond of 'appropriating' Ministry quills and parchment, their was no evidence of any more serious wrong doing.

He had already identified three strong suspects but he knew that their was a fourth somewhere on the floor, according to his contacts the sheer amount of information being leaked from the Minister's offices indicated that a large well organized group was responsible and he vowed that he would find them no matter what it took.

Draco sighed in relief as the Dark Lord accepted his excuse for lowering the tribute provided by the Malfoy family, it wasn't easy but in the end all it had taken was the promise of a large lump sum payment upon his inheritance of the Black fortune, of course that would require that the Dark Lord find and eliminate the current head and any other claimants first.

Smiling to himself he chuckled, he loved a win win situation and perhaps it was time to secure his safety for the eventuality of the Dark Lord's possible defeat.

Back at the Library, Hermione was surprised to run into her old Defense instructor Remus Lupin.

"Hello Professor, I didn't expect to see you here."

"Hello Hermione, I must confess that I am a bit surprised to see you as well."

"Their was an attack on my house so I accepted the invitation of the Lord of Azkaban to stay here for a little while."

"Was anyone hurt?" The Werewolf asked in concern.

"Nobody except the Death Eaters," she replied.

"Good," Remus said, thinking furiously he knew she was hiding something but what.

"It was nice talking to you professor, but if you will excuse me I have a lot of reading to do." She said with a smile as she walked past him.

As she walked past him Remus's eyes shot open, he could smell Harry's scent all over her and judging by the intensity it was quite recent.

Leaving the library Remus quickly made his way to the docks he had to get back and tell Dumbledore as soon as possible.

* * *

AN: For those of you that haven't guessed the book is a magical version of a lap top.

Thanks to all my reviewers I couldn't write this without your comments, responses to some are below.

athenakitty – Percy shall return to the fold in time. Yes, he does work in Fudge's office. No. Just one hole right now but that may change if I get ideas for more magical items. Yes but they don't tend to wear them in public. Soon. Hadn't thought of including correspondence courses. Fudge will get his. Ron may do something but not to Harry. The library will be getting a lot more time in the next few chapters. Hermione will disappear into the stacks. Not in the main Library. Most Island children are taught on the Island, there are exceptions. The Dementors that sided with Voldemort are stuck in the walls until Harry forgives them or Hell freezes over, whichever comes first. Not every section but the walls in the Super Max portions are filled with them. At the moment the cops don't have enough evidence for a conviction.

Joe – Lots of requests for this match.

uten – Percy works for another faction that while allied with his Lordship is not connected to Azkaban beyond that, yes Percy is using some watered down muggle methods, what better way to get around wizards then to use something most of them would never conceder. Glad the meeting with Becky helped. No you didn't miss anything and very perceptive. Yup I figured that Antonin would be the perfect person to show some of Harry's nastier side. Hermione did not know that he was the Lord Azkaban, all she saw was Harry placing himself in danger and wearing a bad disguise you might also notice that the few times that people called Harry 'my Lord' when Hermione was in the area she was busy with the wounded Becky so it didn't quite sink in. Pick up, not pack a small difference but it is significant. And the whole Lord Azkaban think hasn't sunk in yet, "Lord Azkaban" said Hermione incredulously "I always thought that the stories of the immortal Lord of Azkaban were nothing more then a myth." Hermione as intelligent as she is has a bit of trouble connecting her friend Harry with the "Immortal Lord of Azkaban" as a hint look back at the way Dumbledore talks about the Lord of Azkaban. Hope I explained it in this chapter.

gallandro-83 – Nobody will be taking any 'next steps' for a few chapters yet.

Saetan – Percy didn't get caught with the death eaters, good idea though.

userid82 – I am trying to find a place to fit this, trying to find the best way to write this also.

Darak – Cool, thanks for the info.

RossWrock – Oops, I based it off of the train systems in Japan which seem to go everywhere. Reason I used it was that I didn't want Harry to do the same thing that he has done in a dozen other fics, nothing bad on your fic which I enjoy quite a bit.

Mark Turnlach – Very perceptive.

creative reader – Another interesting chapter, yes the Order could retire but do you really think that they will.

Toras – Azkaban is a bit like Monaco which without a male heir to the royal family would revert to French control, if I remember correctly. Someone figured it out, yup I am using something like the old Phantom comics but in this case it is not something that Azkaban has come up with.

aloavi – Thanks, in open battle Harry's forces could stomp Voldemort's quiet easily because Harry has numbers and quality but when was the last time you saw an open battle. Voldemort uses hit and run tactics so that negates some of that advantage.

Treck – Almost forgot about Snape, hmmm I may have to think of something to do with him beyond some vague ideas. Cool author alert and favorites, I must confess this story has taken off much more then I expected and I already have more reviews in just chapter one then I expected the entire story to get.

In addition to the reasons… - Good point.

met19 – He goes back to school at the same time that everyone else does.


	9. Citizen Potter

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its assorted characters.

* * *

Citizen Potter

* * *

"Albus" Remus's shout of excitement echoed across the house "I've found Harry."

No statement could have attracted the lead of the Order of the Phoenix faster then that one, whipping his head around to look at the Werewolf he silently motioned for more detail.

"I was in Azkaban's Library when I ran into Hermione" Remus replied, panting for breath "she said that her family had been attacked and that she had requested asylum from the Lord of Azkaban after being rescued by his forces."

"It's good to hear that Ms. Granger is safe and that the Lord of Azkaban is honoring his agreements but what does this have to do with Harry?"

"I smelled him" Remus said in excitement "when Hermione passed by, I smelled him on her."

"Thank you Remus, you have done a great service to the light" the old wizard smiled "now all we must do is contact Azkaban and see that Harry is returned to our custody."

"I already tried talking to some of the guards" Remus said cautiously "their were a few that made the ferry ride with me and they refused to comment."

"Leave things to me" the old wizard replied, eyes twinkling "I'll speak to Azkaban's Lord and explain to him that Harry must be returned to us."

Waiting until the Werewolf left he tossed a handful of Floo into the fire place he prepared his arguments ahead of time.

"Caer Azkaban" he said after watching the fires turn green.

The face that appeared on the other end of the connection was that of a lovely young witch, hair drawn up into a severe bun reminiscent of his Transfiguration Professor.

"Good afternoon my dear, I am Albus Dumbledore Headmaster of Hogwarts" he said with a grand fatherly grin "I was wondering if I might speak to the Lord Azkaban?"

"I am afraid that his Lordship is unavailable" the young woman replied ignoring his attempts to charm her "however as his Lordship's assistant I am authorized to speak on his behalf."

"Yes, well" Dumbledore responded, a bit unnerved that she had not shown the awe that he was use to receiving "I was hoping to talk to him about Harry Potter."

"Why do you wish to speak to his Lordship on such matters" the young woman demanded.

"Well, we have reason to believe that he has taken up residence on the Island" Dumbledore said eyes twinkling like mad "and I was hoping to arrange for his return to our care."

"I am afraid that would be quite impossible" the young woman replied, stone faced "Harry Potter has recently become a citizen of Caer Azkaban."

"How is that possible?" Dumbledore asked losing his composure.

"There are many ways, for instance one can be born on Azkaban, or one can be a paroled prisoner, or..."

"No I was asking how Harry became a citizen" Dumbledore clarified.

"I am afraid that it is quite impossible, it is forbidden to speak of such matters" after a moment the young woman seemed to take pity on the old wizard "what I can say is that Sirius Black is a citizen of Azkaban and that Harry Potter received his citizenship on the same day that he became the sole Heir of Sirius Black."

"So Harry inherited his citizenship through Sirius" Dumbledore stated.

"I did not say that Sir" The girl responded "as I said it is forbidden to speak of such matters."

"Thank you child you have been an immense help to me and my Order."

"I am happy to assist one of my Lord's allies" she replied with a sharp nod "will that be all that you wished to speak of?"

"Yes, and thank you again" Dumbledore said, cutting the connection.

Harry nearly burst out laughing after Dumbledore broke the connection "that was perfect Becky, you really gave the old bastard a taste of his own medicine."

"I am happy to serve Harry" the girl responded shyly and with a happy grin "do you think that he will figure it out?"

"All that he will figure out is what you wanted him to figure out" Harry beamed with pride "I could never have done it without you."

"Thank you Harry" she responded "do you have any more tasks for me?"

"Just get well" he said with a smile "I'm still a bit worried about you and I don't want anything to happen, I'd never be able to run this place without your aid."

"You are too kind Harry" she said blushing "I am sure that you could govern this Island and much more without my assistance."

Choosing not to argue, Harry just lifted his assistant back onto the bed.

Hours later Hermione appeared looking lost with only one book in her arms.

"He only let me take one" she said at Harry's raised eyebrow "he said that he only allowed me that because I was staying in your apartments."

"And I thought Madame Pince was bad" Harry said laughing.

Hermione nodded, not bothering to defend the old librarian and settled down to read.

"I'll be right back girls" Harry said standing up "I just had a sudden thought and I would like to go check it out."

Walking quickly through the halls of his castle, Harry soon came to the Main Library, after a moment of searching he soon spotted the hunched over form of his chief Librarian.

"Good afternoon Allmus" Harry said with a grin "I have a problem and I believe that you may be able to find a solution."

"I will do anything in my power to help you my Lord" responded the ancient man.

"I was wondering if you knew of a way to help me to learn faster" Harry said with, grin not leaving his face "after all I have all these lovely books and I need some way to read them all."

"I understand your dilemma my Lord, please allow me a moment to think" after a moment of contemplation the old librarian continued "I do know of a potion that would allow your Lordship to read faster and focus more."

"Excellent do you know where I might get some?"

"Your Lordship's Potion Master should have a supply."

"Anything that would help me remember and recall the things I read?"

"I know of no motion or spell that would help you in that my Lord, however there is an art called Oclumency which I am told would suit my Lord's needs."

"Thank you Allmus, your help has been quite helpful."

"I live to serve, my Lord."

It took longer to find the Potion Master's work shop then Harry had anticipated and to his surprise, it was located in a bright airy room and not a dank dungeon.

"Good afternoon, how may I help you?" said an older woman who looked as if she could be McGonagall's sister.

"Yes, Allmus the librarian told me that you might have a potion to help me read faster?"

"Yes I do have such a potion, but I'm afraid that I will have to get permission before I can give you any" the woman said kindly.

"Would the Lord of Azkaban have the authority?" Harry asked bemused.

"Yes of course his Lordship would have such authority" the woman responded sharply, a bit scandalized by Harry's lack of respect for the Lord of Azkaban.

"Then you have my permission to give me the potion" Harry said and then bit his tongue to keep from laughing.

"What" the woman said in shock "oh where are my glasses."

After a few moments of searching, she put a pair of wire frame glasses on her face "I am sorry my Lord, no disrespect was intended and I ..."

"It's fine" Harry said interrupting "now about that potion?"

Harry returned to his quarters a few minutes later and clutched safely in his hand were two doses of the potion he had suffered so much to get, biting one's tongue counts as suffering right?

As he approached his door he felt a pang of dread, as if he was walking into a situation that made his little 'tiffs' with Voldemort look like a congenial game of chess.

Opening the door he heard something that every man dreads "...and then he..." Hermione's voice trailed off as she saw him enter "oh hi Harry, we were just talking about you."

Well this was it Percy thought to himself as he left the office; he had noticed that one of his suspects and another man had shown an extraordinary amount of interest in him today, and now he was being followed.

Forcing himself to walk at a steady pace was the most difficult thing that he had ever done and pretending that he couldn't spot the two amateurs following him was a close second.

He didn't fear death for life had lost all meaning as of late that death would come as a welcome release, throwing his crumpled paper into a trash can he could only hope that he was correct about the identity of the last man, that he wouldn't die without completing his mission.

Shaking his head sadly he knew that their was no way that he could alert his superiors without notifying his pursuers that he was anything but a normal but noisy employee, thus ruining any chance for surprise.

As he strolled down the street looking for an isolated place to bring things to their conclusion a strange calm over took him; he thought about his family, he thought about Penny, he thought about things that might have been but would never be.

Walking into a dark alley way he gave them the opportunity that they were looking for, resisting the urge to turn around when he heard their foot steps behind he walked straight eyes on the exit at least this way no innocent would be harmed for witnessing the wrong thing, at least this way he wouldn't be responsible for any deaths but his own.

The first blow spun him around to face his attackers and the second knocked him off of his feet looking up he saw their faces leering down at him and as things went black he felt a brief moment of joy, his suspicions were correct and he had managed to get out the identity of the last man before he died and now his organization would make the bastards pay.

Arthur was worried; he had heard from one of the many contacts that his years at the Ministry had bought him that his son Percy had not shown up to work that morning.

So in order to alleviate his concern, he immediately Apparated to his estranged son's apartment praying that his son was just feeling a bit under the weather.

After his knocking received no answer he dipped into the skills of his first profession and unlocked the door, steeling himself for the worst he opened the door and found no one.

Giving his son's apartment a quick search he found no signs of struggle or clues to his son's whereabouts, what he did find to his surprise was a framed photo of the Weasley family sitting beside a photo of Penelope Clearwater on his son's bedside table.

It took only a short amount of time to find the address of the Clearwater residence and he made that his next stop.

The Clearwater abode turned out to be a large two story brick affair, walking up to the door he knocked smartly and waited for an answer.

After a few minutes the door was answered by a woman of about his age sporting the dark curly hair that his son had loved so much on his paramour "good morning miss, my name is Arthur Weasley, I'm the Ministry liaison to the Lord of Azkaban and I was wondering if Penelope might be in?"

"Please follow me Mr. Weasley, Penelope is in the drawing room."

Penelope seated in front of a large picture window reading a book "Penny" the girl started at the sound of her mother's voice "there is a man from the Ministry to see you."

"Yes my name is Arthur Weasley, the Minister liaison to the Lord of Azkaban and I was wondering if I might have a few moments of your time."

"Of course" she replied with a nod "mother if you could give us a bit of privacy?"

"Yes dear, just call me if you need anything" the woman said with a nod closing the door behind.

"Before we start Mr. Weasley, I was wondering if I might ask a question."

"Of course Ms. Clearwater and if you like you may call me Arthur."

"Are" she hesitated "are you any relation to Percy Weasley?"

"He's my third son" Arthur responded in an even voice.

"How is he" the girl asked with a bit of worry.

"I'm afraid that's what I came to speak to you about" taking a deep breath to calm his nerves before he continued "Percy didn't show up for work this morning and I was hoping that you might have had some clue to where he might be."

"I don't know, we had a fight a few weeks ago and since then he's refused to even speak with me" she said wiping a stray tear off of her cheek "why did you come to me, surely you would must have some idea of where he could be."

"I am afraid that Percy has been distancing him self from his family for quite some time" replied Arthur with a frown "and I came to you because I found your picture on a table next to his bed."

"My picture, he kept it?" she replied in a whisper "if you find him tell him that I still love him and that I want to try to work things out."

"I promise" he said standing up "now if you will excuse me I still have places to look."

* * *

AN: You may have noticed that Becky didn't tell one lie to Dumbledore, on the other hand she also didn't tell the entire truth.

Thank you for your reviews, replies to a few are below. And as always I couldn't write without your input.

a reader- You can't make good deductions without good info and at this point Lupin does not have good info.

Shawn Pickett – Well, I suppose that the Order could ask nicely for Harry to be given to them.

Jordan – They will both be getting Dragon hide vests and maybe more.

Markcohen – The secrete to his success is that he has people to do a lot of the thinking for him while he gets on the job training.

gallandro83 – Very perceptive, I have a few storylines that I may use.

uten – Good idea on the citizen thing I hadn't thought of that and I am going to have to use it. Yup, no plans to kill Becky but if one falls another will take her place, still trying to figure out how I would make a relationship believable. Becky does have her own room off of his but she rarely uses if for anything but sleep, every wakening moment is with Harry. Harry did not have his new wand yet during the fight and it still has every monitoring charm you can think of on it, oh no looks like Fudge has another reason to charge Harry with a crime. The larger the better, you would be surprised how much the reviews help me to write. Most of the times the questions ask cause me to go off on tangents which provide the story lines, biggest example would be the Dementors.

Slimpun – Becky is fairly relaxed around Harry when they are alone but at all other times she acts in the manner that she believes is proper. Don't personally like R/Hr because I don't think that fighting is a good way to build a relationship, add that to the fact that I don't know if I could write it convincingly, kudos to the people who can pull it off though.  
  
Lady FoxFire – I'll try to write a better summery.  
  
userid82 – Considered having Dementors as a lesson but I decided that not even Hagrid would find them 'cute.' No mailing list, just check every day or so.  
  
Lap – Now that Hermione is on the Island Harry has someone to push him to memorize the Library.  
  
Saetan – Percy is on the side of the Angels. Yes, they will be quite surprised.


	10. Never Harm a Weasley

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters.

* * *

Never Harm a Weasley

* * *

Arthur was beginning to fear the worst, he could think of no possible reason for the disappearance of his son except the worst.

Apparating home he struggled to think of a way to tell his wife about the possible fate of their son.

Entering the house he was a bit surprised to see his eldest son Bill "where are Molly and the children?"

"Mum took Ron and Ginny to Diagon Alley" Bill responded "what brings you home so early dad?"

"Call Charlie and the twins and have them get home as soon as possible" Arthur replied "I'll tell you all what is happening when you are together."

"All right dad" Bill said picking up on the seriousness of the situation "I'll have them all here as soon as possible."

"Good" Arthur said forcing a smile "I've got to go up to the attic for a bit but I'll be down in a few minutes."

As he walked up the stairs to the attic, Arthur Weasley's face changed from the open and carefree expression that he normally wore to something harder, darker, to something that could easily belong to a man who was once the most feared Unspeakable in Europe.

It took him several minutes of searching before he found the old trunk, buried behind a box of old Christmas decorations and hidden under a pile of the children's baby cloths.

Slowly, almost reverently he opened it up and began the transformation into the man he once was.

The four boys were shocked by the figure that walked down the stairs; clad in Dragon Hide and an old pair of combat robes, they were surprised to see the eyes of their father look out at them from an expressionless face that seemed to have been carved out of wood.

"Boys" the figure spoke with their father's voce "I've called you here because something has happened and Percy is missing."

"Where do we look first dad" said Bill speaking for his brothers "with the five of us looking it shouldn't be too difficult to find him."

"We don't look anywhere, you four will stay here to protect your mother and the children while I go look" looking at his sons Arthur's face softened "if you do not hear from me in twenty four hours get everyone to Azkaban Island and ask for protection from it's lord, then get in contact with my friend in the Department of Magical Transport."

"If you say so dad" Gred started to ask and Forge continued "but why are talking like something bad is going to happen."

"Always plan for the worst" Arthur replied with a sad smile "I want you boys to know that I have always been proud of you and the others and that nothing you could do could make me prouder."

Giving his family one last look he stepped outside and Apparated to Diagon Alley.

"Bill, Charlie you two wait here and look after Mum" Started Forge "and we'll look after dad to make sure he doesn't hurt himself" finished Gred as they Apparated off to find their father.

It was surprisingly easy to find the location of their missing parent "putting trackers on are parents was the best idea we ever had, twin of mine" said one twin to the other.

Their search had taken them to the mouth of an isolated alley in Hogsmead and from within they could hear the sickening crunch of bones being broken "I knew that dad would get into trouble without us" whispered one twin to the other "lets get him to Saint Mungos and then come back to find out what his attacker knows" agreed the other.

Jumping into the alley, wands held high they were shocked to find their father, fist cocked back holding a man to the wall "Dad?" one whispered in surprise.

Sparing them a quick glance "step outside the alley boys, I don't want you to have to see this."

Nodding in shock the twins followed the instruction of their parent without arguments or complaint in recent memory.

Wincing at the sounds of escalating violence coming out of the alley the two twins stood silently and tried to reconcile the image of their father with the man they had seen in the alley.

"I'm sorry you boys had to see that" their father's voice startled them out of their thoughts "I had always hoped that I could protect you children from such things."

"Where did you learn to do that sort of thing Dad?" asked George surprised at the sudden change in the man that they thought they knew.

"That doesn't matter George, what does matter is that I have a few more leads on what happened to Percy" Arthur replied, more tired then he had ever been in his life "I want you boys to go home now."

"No Dad" said Fred "we want to stay with you" agreed George.

"Boys" Arthur paused unsure of what to say "Percy was attacked and I am going to have to find three men and ... do things to them in order to find your brother."

"What do you mean dad" asked the twins together "why can't we help you?"

"Boys, if you see what I'm about to do it will change you and it will change the way you look at me" he shook his head sadly "and I don't want to be responsible for that."

Any further musings were cut short by the arrival of three men in black combat robes "Liaison Weasley?"

"I am" replied Arthur somewhat wearily as he moved to place himself between the three strange men and his sons.

"The Lord of Azkaban has requested your presence"

"Tell him that I'm busy with a family emergency right now and that I will meet with him as soon as I can resolve it" said Arthur dropping his wand "please tell him that no disrespect is intended but that I must see to my family first."

"Lord Azkaban is well aware of your emergency and he has ordered us to inform you that his meeting with you is in relation to your emergency, we have already collected the rest of your family Liaison so if you would consent to come with us."

Arthur would later recall that the time he spent waiting on the ferry were the longest minutes of his life and his fear of the possible fate of his son kept him from asking the silent guards that accompanied him.

As they approached the dock, Arthur was surprised to be met by a young woman that he recognized to be the assistant to the Lord of Azkaban, a young woman that he could not recall seeing outside the Lord's presence at any time before.

"Please come with me Liaison Weasley" Becky spoke in her normal business like tone "his Lordship has requested that you be brought to him the moment that you arrive."

With every step closer to his destination, Arthur's fear grew he remembered the things that he had seen in the first rise and he prayed that his son had not suffered a similar fate.

After a time he and his sons were led into a large room where he found the rest of his family waiting.

Ignoring the questions of his children and the pleas of his wife, he waited silently hoping that the news the Lord wished to share was good.

Arthur nearly jumped when the door was opened to admit the Lord of Azkaban, swiveling his head to look at the Lord as he entered Arthur braced himself for the worst.

"I must apologies for my lateness" said the hooded figure that most of the Weasleys assumed was Azkaban's Lord "but I was forced to deal with another matter relating to the one I wish to speak to you about."

"Please just tell us" Arthur said closing his eyes and gathering his wife in a hug "I just have to know."

"I am sorry for the worry that you have suffered and I assure you that I have nothing but good news for you" the Lord of Azkaban said hoping to calm his family "with that in mind, would you be too terribly angry if I were to give you your good news in a rather dramatic way?"

"Your guards informed me that the good news concerned my family emergency?" Arthur enquired hope touching his voice.

"Yes, they would have told you more but at the time we did not have all the information and I did not wish to give you any false hope."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Arthur let his shoulders drop "all right then, if you wish you may do things in a dramatic way."

"Thank you Arthur, I get so little chance to put on a show that I like to take any opportunity that I am given."

Walking to the front of the family he continued "I have called you here to give you a gift and if you will open that door you will see it."

Arthur was the first to the door, throwing it open with such force that it was nearly ripped off of its hinges.

Their sitting on a bed in the middle of the room was his son, his arms wrapped around a girl that Arthur recognized as Penelope Clearwater.

Tears fell down his face as he took in the sight and behind him he heard the Lord of Azkaban finish his sentence "I give you your son, I give you your brother."

Arthur felt something trying to push by him in the door way and he looked down to the furious face of his youngest son "let me by dad, someone needs to teach that prat a lesson."

Ron struggled against his fathers restraining arms, wanting nothing but to reach his traitorous brother and beat him into the ground for his crimes.

"Calm down Ronald" called the voice of the Lord of Azkaban "there are things that you need to know before you condemn your brother."

"Like what" Ron yelled back, not caring about the possible insult to one of the most powerful men in the wizarding world "what possible reason could he have to be such a prat?"

"He did it to keep you all safe" was the whispered answer "his first assignment was to investigate some allegations concerning Bartemius Crouch Sr. and after that investigation ended with the death of Bartemius Crouch he was sent to find the leaks in the Minister's office."

"But why would Percy be doing this?" asked Molly "he just got out of school and he doesn't have any training."

"The fact that he has only recently graduated from school is one of the things that made him so successful" responded the Lord of Azkaban not unkindly "after all how could he be a MOPS agent if he went to work for the Ministry openly right after his graduation."

After Ron had calmed and Molly was occupied with his returned son, Arthur took the Lord Azkaban aside for a few questions "so what happened to him, I know that their was going to be an attempt on his life?"

"When my men found him, he was in the process of being beaten to death by two of his coworkers" replied Azkaban's ruler "he had lead them into a dark alley way because he didn't believe that they would be professional enough to limit the hit to him and he wished to ensure the safety of any innocent bystanders."

"Than you" Arthur said resisting the urge to hug the Lord Azkaban "I suppose that I'm lucky that your men happened upon him."

"Luck had nothing to do with this Arthur" replied the Lord taking a Breath "the second you agreed to become the Ministry Liaison to the forces of Azkaban, I assigned a unit from my body guards to keep a close watch on the safety of your family, as I said before Arthur you are family and I will not let my family come to harm."

"I ... thank you Lord Azkaban, thank you for giving me my son back."

"It was nothing, now if you will excuse me this is the time for your family to be together and I fear that I would be in the way of that" he said taking his leave "if you have any requests, there will be an attendant outside the door to see to your needs."

Back at the Dark Lord's abode, the Dark Lord's quiet game of solitaire was disturbed when one of his low level followers came rushing in.

"Master" yelled one of Voldemort's underlings rushing up to him "one of your low level Death Eaters was found by Aurors in an alley in Hogsmead."

"Why is this news so important that you would dare to disturb me?" inquired the Dark Lord dangerously as he lifted his wand to punish his servant if the answer displeased him.

"Because my Lord, when they found him the Aurors noted that he had been Obliviated and that both of his kneecaps had been shattered" the man replied fearfully "the Ghost has returned."

Within minutes of the announcement the news spread like wild fire through the Dark Lord's forces.

Many of the younger Death Eaters had to be told of the significance of the news and many older ones felt fear.

Above watching it all the Dark Lord sighed, it was going to be another one of those days.

* * *

AN: A lot of Arthur in this chapter but I like Arthur. I couldn't see the twins just quietly following orders in this situation and I also didn't think they would think of their father as a competent dangerous man so they chased after him to keep him safe. Charlie returned home so quickly because the Weasly family is so close that I can't see them ignoring a call to come home for an emergency.

Thank you for your reviews, comments to some are below.

Egyptian Flame – Not immortal at this time, they used magic of some type to fool his nose.

lucas13 – I'll keep updating everyday as long as I can.

Lap – Harry is changing a bit, the first hint of that is that fate of Antonin.

DarkBlade the Damned – I do have a few plans to bring the Nightmares in later in the story. I have some vague possible plans for the Dementors. Also have a few plans involving the Order which I may or may not use.

uten – Going to have to work on the scene transition. Glad you liked the way Becky dealt with Dumbledore. Harry received no Owls because he left the area before any could arrive and they cannot find him on the Island, as for the second part I really like this idea and I may have to use it. All that I will say about Occlumency is that it is amazing how fast you can learn when you have a competent teacher. I am going to write Ron in as Harry's friend if a bit childish, I mostly agree with you as to his character but as a challenge to myself I am going to try to give Harry his first friend back. Heh, no way I was going to bed without posting the last one.

athenakitty – Harry has no idea about Remus telling Dumbledore, Percy is in the dark.

Saetan - Just a way of saying that Percy is a good guy.  
  
userid82 – Much as I would like to cure Neville's parents I can't think of a cure that isn't a 'cop out.' Heh, dark mark on the face, won't happen but I like the idea.

TheWraith1 – Harry does have a few loyal Dementors and I do have an Idea for a reward.Jiriki – Percy Weasley, Deep cover agent for MOPS.  
  
jestyking – Thank you, anything that would help my writing is always welcome.  
  
XxXcHaRmXxX – Just another way of saying castle or fortress.  
  
MysterioX – No slash in my stories, it's not my thing.


	11. Check Mate

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or it's characters.

* * *

Check Mate

* * *

"Ron did that?" asked Becky a bit perplexed "why would he do that?"

"Well he's Ron" Hermione replied giggling "that means it doesn't have to make sense and if you try to analyze his logic it will drive you insane."

"I see" said Becky in a fake serious voice "it must be nice to go to school like that."

"You didn't go to school" Hermione was shocked "then how did you learn so much?"

"I have been trained since birth for my position as my Lord's assistant so I was unable to attend schooling with the other schooling" Becky said in a matter of fact tone "in fact I believe that you are the first friend that I have ever had my age" then some what hesitantly "you ... you are my friend right."

"Course we're friends Becky" Hermione nodded reassuring the younger girl "but what about your parents, why did they allow you to be raised by other people."

"I have no parents" Becky responded in a matter of fact tone "when I was born I was taken from my mother and after my intelligence was discovered I was raised to by my Lord's servant."

"That's terrible" Hermione was horrified "how could they just take you away from your family."

"The prisoners in the maximum security wing are not permitted to keep their children" Becky explained "I was treated with kindness and raised by the people of Azkaban, I do not believe that I would have half as good a childhood with my mother, even if she had been free."

"Becky" Hermione had a sudden horrible thought "if you don't mind me asking, what was your mother's name."

"I believe that it was Bellatrix, why do you ask."

"Bellatrix LeStrange killed Harry's god father in the Department of Mysteries" Hermione said quietly.

"Thank you for telling me Hermione" Becky said making several notations in her book "now that I know of her crimes against his Lordship I have instructed the guards to spend more resources in her apprehension."

"But how can you do that" Hermione asked a bit shocked "she's evil but she's still your mother."

"No Hermione she is the enemy of my Lord" Becky said voice filled with emotion "and as such she will be hunted into the ground like the dog that she is."

"But"

"Let us forget such things" Becky said, her earlier happy mood returning "do you have any pictures of Harry when he was smaller?"

Hermione's response was a wicked grin "let me get my album."

Across the room Harry shuddered in fear while he couldn't hear their words, the giggles and tone of voice were enough to warn him that he had made a mistake when he introduced the two girls.

For several hours, Harry continued to study his book on advanced Potions and for several hours, he attempted to ignore the two giggling girls behind him.

"Thank you Hermione" Becky said grinning "I really enjoyed looking at your pictures of Hogwarts and hearing your stories about your school year."

"No problem Becky" Hermione responded with a grin of her own "it's nice having a friend who's a girl, don't get me wrong Harry and Ron are great but you just can't discuss some things with them."

"I understand" Becky nodded "if you will excuse me I must take care of a matter of some importance."

"Ok, don't work too hard" Hermione said gathering up her things.

"I will not" Becky replied walking across the room to where Harry was reading "Harry."

"Yes Becky" he looked up from his book "is their something you want?"

"I have to take leave of you for a short amount of time" she responded "but I shall return as soon as I am able."

"All right"

Leaving the room, Becky made several notations in her ever present book as she walked to one of the more isolated locations in the castle.

"You called Becky" asked the Commander of Azkaban's forces "what does his Lordship wish from me"

"I have asked to meet with you on my own authority regarding a matter involving his Lordship's safety" replied the girl "it is in regards to his Lordship's acquaintance Ronald Bilius Weasly."

"What about him" asked Maxwell suddenly deadly serious.

"While he is currently friendly with our Lord, his past behavior erratic makes him a liability" Becky reported to Commander Maxwell "and as such I recommend that steps be taken to remove him from his Lordship's presence."

"What action do you suggest I take?" he asked eager for the intelligent young woman's opinion "I don't believe I could 'remove' him and keep the information from his Lordship with absolute certainty."

"That was my thought as well" Becky said with a nod "I have a plan to remove him from our Lord's presence that will not require bloodshed."

Maxwell's eyes shined with pride as he listened to the plan outlined by the intelligent young woman, it was times like this that he regretted not taking his chance to recruit her into the guard when he had the chance.

Back in the room with the Weasleys, Arthur had taken his son aside to explain some things to him.

"Percy, I appreciate what you have done for this family but if you ever even think about doing something like it again I will unleash the twins on you."

"Don't worry dad, now that my cover's been blown I won't have any reason to do something like it again" Percy said happy to be honest with his father "though now that I can't be used in the field, I don't know what to do."

"Have you thought about becoming an Unspeakable?" Arthur asked his son in a low voice "you are already part of the department so it wouldn't be that hard to make the jump."

"I've thought about it dad but I really don't think that I could make the cut" Percy replied with a grin "sure I'm part of the Department but I don't know if I could ever be that good."

"I don't know son" Arthur said trying not to reveal too much "I think that you have the potential to be great."

"No offence dad but do you really have the experience to make that sort of judgment?" laughing "it's not like you were an Unspeakable is it?"

Percy's laughter trailed off as he noticed the serious look on his father's face "like father like son Percy, it might be nice to be able to pass along some of my skills and to be able to tell someone in the family what I saw."

Their conversation in the corner of the room continued, most of their family members concluding that Percy's behavior towards their father had been especially hard on the sensitive man they knew requiring an especially long reconciliation.

By unspoken agreement the Weasley family decided to leave the two men to their 'bonding' and seek out their entertainment in other parts of the room.

Ginny, Molly, and Penelope had claimed a table and were comparing notes on the returned Weasley.

The twins had claimed a corner of their own and were talking to each other in hushed tones, occasionally throwing a curious glance at the back of their father.

Bill sat with his brother Charlie, ensuring that his brother was caught up on all the family news that had not made the long trip to Romania.

Ron was board, alone, and entirely without diversion he didn't want to join his mother and sister, his brief conversation with his too oldest siblings had convinced him that their conversation was not about anything important, he didn't want to risk breaking his father's reconciliation with Percy because he was slightly afraid of harming his fragile parent, and their was no way in hell he would go near the twins when they were apparently plotting some mischief.

A brief knock on the door interrupted his sulking and curious the got up to answer it.

On the other side of the door was an old man carrying a chess set "terribly sorry to bother you but I heard that one of you was regarded as a skilled Chess Player?"

"I'm the best in Gryffindor" Ron beamed with pride "were you looking for a game?"

"But you're so young" the man said with a bit of astonishment then shaking it off "forgive me but in my experience most young people have no interest in chess these days, but where are my manners my name is Allmus and I was looking for a game if you are willing to accept my challenge."

"I accept" said Ron with a grin, happy to be on familiar ground "come on in."

"Thank you" said the man setting up the board "it's been so long since I've played, I hope I can still provide a challenge."

"Don't worry about it" said Ron a bit arrogantly "I'm sure you'll do fine."

Just as Ron had expected, the game was both short and brutally one sided but contrary to his prediction he was not victorious.

"You are even better then I was led to believe" said Allmus as he used his queen to win the game "it's a pity that you will never have a chance to realize your potential and become one of the greats."

"What do you mean never have a chance?"

"Well, you do go to Hogwarts do you not?" asked the old man.

"Yeah, I go to Hogwarts" confirmed Ron, a bit confused on what this had to do with his chess skills.

"Hogwarts does not have a class on advanced chess and I'm afraid that without it you will never be able to compete on a professional level" the old man shook his head "pity too as a professional chess player can make quite a bit of gold."

"What do you mean?"

"I suppose you could compare it to the pay that professional Quiddich receive because they receive money to do a recreational activity" the old man said "of course that isn't the best analogy because chess players have a longer career and are able to make considerably more money."

Ron listened to the old man talk with rapt excitement; he had finally found his chance to make his place in the world in a way that no Weasley ever had, the money wouldn't hurt either.

After several minutes of conversation with the old man and several lost games Ron had a sudden thought that caused his shoulders to slump "I'd never be able to pay for it, even with dad's new job I don't think we would swing the tuition, and I don't want to leave Harry to face Voldemort all alone."

"Payment would be no problem" the old man said making a move "and I don't see that you should worry about Harry, after all he had all of his adventures without your help didn't he?"

"No, I was there on all of Harry's adventures" Ron said puffing up proudly "and without me he would never have been able to succeed in any of them."

"Really" the old man said with astonishment "I hadn't realized someone so young as yourself has seen so much."

"Yeah" Ron said with a bit of pride "you always hear about what Harry does but the papers always make it look like he did it alone, they forget about the rest of us that did just as much."

"Amazing" Allmus said looking at Ron in a new light "but don't you think that it's time for you to claim your own glory, you've fought in every major battle that's taken place in the last few years so don't you owe it to yourself?"

"Your right" Ron said with a nod "I've done more then my part in the war effort and it's high time I went and got myself some recognition."

"Excellent" the old librarian said proudly "I must confess that it is a pleasure to see someone so young making such a mature decision."

"But how will I pay for it, you said it wouldn't be a problem for me?"

"Of course not" replied Allmus seemingly scandalized that such a question could be asked "even if you could not have qualified for any of the many scholarships based on merit, through your father's work on the Island you will have all your tuition and expenses paid for by my Lord Azkaban."

"Great" said Ron enthusiastically, happy the world was finally giving him the treatment he deserved "where is the best school."

"The best school is in Moscow and I know that if you have the courage to complete the next two years you will become one of the greats."

The reactions of the Weasley family were mixed when they heard Ron's plans but none dared voice anything but support for his goals, one glance at Molly prevented that the for none wished to dash the joy she was feeling that at last one of her babies would be safe from this awful war.

* * *

AN: I think I may have figured out what to do with Ron, it is both original and it does not make Ron the head of the anti Harry club. Becky LeStrange was something I had planned on when I first envisioned the character, it is kind of like the citizenship laws in several countries, and if you are born on the Island you are automatically a citizen of the Island. The only reason that Arthur was willing to admit his past to Percy was because of Percy's affiliation with the Department of Mysteries and because he wanted to teach his son some of the things he knows.

Lord Ravenclaw- Thanks for the review.

TheWraith1 – Interesting idea about the Demontias, I don't any plans to do anything like this but interesting idea.

Jasmine – I try to, sometimes this weekend for example I won't be able to other times I can. I just stop at the point that the story seems to want to stop at.

Dante Lewis – I am trying to avoid the whole soopa doopa powers thing, at times I do enjoy reading it but it seemed a bit of a cop out to me. Very perceptive on the parallel between the two Lords and what will happen in the story. Heh, I like Arthur and I asked myself what he would have done during the first rise that would allow him to work with the troops of Azkaban. Heh, thanks Dumbledore was one of the more difficult ones to write at first. Having a bit of trouble with Harry, Ron was much easer. Yep, Fudge is powerless when it comes to Harry and no matter what he does Harry can counter it ... almost without effort.

gallandro-83 – He hasn't returned at this point, hadn't thought about him passing the mantle.  
  
Egyptian Flame – All depends on what I can pull off.  
  
athenakitty – Questions will be raised by Fred and George who saw their father get very rough with someone and then suggest that he was going off to kill some people in very interesting ways. He may start teaching them a little on the sly. Volde might be a bit weary but I don't see him fearing the Lord of Azkaban yet. Still can't think up a good cure for the Longbottoms but suggestions are welcome.  
  
Shawn Pickett – Just the scene where Arthur goes up into the attic and pulls out the old trunk.  
  
Jordan – Becky is doing better, Hermione may get citizenship, don't think that the Weasleys will.

uten – Thanks I spent a bit of time trying to figure out how to portray that. Harry has forgiven Ron, but Becky will be watching him like a hawk. Having a lot of trouble trying to figure out how to give Harry his friend back, I don't want to drop him as a character, though he will be relatively unimportant in most of the fic so I am trying to think up a convincing way of having Ron accept things. I don't see him as a great strategist, what most people forget is that chess is just a mental exercise that helps you think in a certain way, it does not impart skill in moving troops so their will be no great commander Ron in my fics without a lot of development taking him to that point and that won't be happening in this fic. I agree that Ron is a 'momma's boy' which is one of the things that is making things so difficult. Ron may stick by Harry if he gets thrown into Azkaban by Fudge, I know that I could write that while remaining IC, the problem is writing Ron in such a way that he would accept Harry getting more gold, maybe show him how difficult it is to run a small nation but that brings me around to how to write it in without a blow up. In the end, I may just leave Ron in the dark about the true identity of the Lord of Azkaban and just have him think that Harry is just plain old Harry. Heh, I wanted to have the Dark Lord doing something besides cackling evilly to himself and I didn't think that anyone would wish to play any games with him.  
  
Wormtail moved the last piece "check mate master."

Eyeing the board for a minute, Voldemort confirmed that there was no way out of his servant's trap "indeed it is Wormtail ... CRUCIO."

David305 – Tried to show Percy's state of mind going into this, he figured that if he ran then they would go after his loved ones and besides that he didn't care if he lived or died.  
  
Paladin3030 – MOPS, Ministry Office of Professional Standards they are my version of Internal Affairs for the Ministry of Magic and they are technically part of the Unspeakables in the Department of Mysteries. Yes I am a fan of the Watchmen, and Rorschach was very cool.  
  
solo2733 – Wish that I could take full credit for that but I have seen something similar in half a dozen movies, just thought it was cool enough to put in. Dr Gero – Not a bad idea, may have to use this if I can fit it in.

Markcohen – I agree, Clark is cool. As to giving too much specal treatment to the Weasleys, he is only able to get away with it because the Lord of Azkaban is an unknown and they don't have many past examples to judge his behavior against.


	12. How a Good day goes Bad

Disclaimer: If you think I own Harry Potter and its characters then I'm a bit surprised that you are able to read this.

* * *

How a Good day goes Bad

* * *

"Good morning Harry" Becky said smiling brightly as Harry awoke "I have some very good news for you today."

"What's that Becky?" Harry asked, still a bit groggy.

"Your investigators have finally gathered enough information to arrest Minister Fudge on charges of corruption and abuse of power."

Harry's eyes shot open and a grin adorned his features "Really, have they made the arrest yet?"

"No Harry" Becky shook her head "I ordered them to wait for your command first."

"Excellent" Harry said rising from his bed "let's take a trip to Diagon Alley after breakfast to witness the festivities."

"Ok Harry" Becky said adding a notation to her book "would you like me to ask if Hermione would like to accompany us?"

"Yes, please do" and after a moment of thought "I'm going to go to the Alley as Harry Potter not the Lord of Azkaban, he has caused me so much trouble that I want him to remember me watching as he is arrested."

"As you command" Becky nodded "I have also received a call from the wand maker and he believes that he will have your new wand ready later today."

"Excellent, if I do get a chance at my new wand it will be a perfect end to a perfect day."

Selecting an outfit from his small selection of normal clothing, Harry was almost ready to burst in excitement for the first time in weeks he was able to be Harry out with some friends not the Lord of Azkaban.

The trip to Diagon Alley didn't take long and when they arrived, Harry found himself wanting to do a bit more then just watch Fudge be arrested.

"Becky while we are here we might as well get you measured for a new Dragon Hide vest" then after a moment of thought "may as well get one for Hermione too."

"Harry, I couldn't" Hermione protested "it wouldn't be right to accept something so expensive from you."

"Yes it would" Harry replied firmly "it saved Becky's life and if you had had one in the Department of Mysteries then you wouldn't have been injured so badly."

"I still can't..."

"Too bad" Harry said interrupting her "you will be getting some armor today, you're too important to risk going without."

Walking into the shop, Harry's senses were once again assaulted by the scent of cured hide and he took a moment to admire the racks of gleaming weaponry before he returned to his task.

"Good afternoon" the thin shop keeper greeted "what can I do for you today?"

"The girls both need Dragon Hide vests" Harry answered with a smile "and a pair of wand holsters would not be a bad idea either."

"All right Sir" the man nodded to Harry before turning to the two girls "did you have any particular breed of Dragon in mind?"

"My last vest was made out of Antipodean Opaleye Hide so if you have any of that I would like this vest to be made out of it as well" Becky replied.

"And you?" the man turned to Hermione "do you have any preferences?"

"I don't know" Hermione said with a thoughtful frown "could I get a look at the Opaleye Hide?"

"Of course you may" replied the man disappearing into the back, returning a few minutes later with a small sample of the hide.

One look at the beautiful white hide was enough to convince Hermione to quickly agree with Becky's choice "this is just lovely, I'll take it."

"Very good" the shopkeeper said with a nod "now if I can just get your measurements."

Harry was a surprised at how little time it had taken to order the girls a set of vests as he decided that it would not harm them to prolong the period that he was able to spend as Harry Potter.

"Would you like to do anything else Harry?" asked Becky after the orders had been put in.

"Yeah it seems a waste to just come here to get the vests" added Hermione.

"We didn't just come here for the vests; I have a bit of a surprise for the wizarding world later" Harry grinned "but if you don't mind I would like to treat the both of you to some ice cream before I spring it."

The girls quickly agreed to his suggestion and they made their next stop Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.

Harry felt a strange and unfamiliar feeling in the pit of his stomach as he watched the two girls and he found himself strangely disappointed that their day together was about to end, he was able to console himself by imagining the shocked that would adorn the Minister's face after his arrest but for some reason he couldn't help but think that his feeling of elation would pale before what he was experiencing right now.

As they left the Ice Cream Parlor, Becky led them to what would be the scene of Fudge's fall from grace.

Nearing the location, Harry was surprised to see the sheer number of people surrounding the Minister.

Fudge was feeling good, last night he had decided to give a spontaneous speech before the citizenry at Diagon Alley and now he just had to wait for the reporters to show up before he started.

Looking around the crowd he couldn't stop himself from feeling contempt for the gathered sheep, which thanks to the blathering of Dumbledore and the whining of that brat Potter were beginning to lose their faith in him.

What he needed was a distraction to tarnish the name of one of his tormentors and restore the confidence of the sheep in his noble personage.

He had planned to use Potter, it had seemed perfect after the boy had been dumb enough to allow himself to commit another crime but then the brat had had the audacity to hide himself from the proper authorities.

No Potter wouldn't do so long as he remained hidden, what he needed was either a way to drive potter out of hiding or a way to blame Dumbledore for the boy's actions.

"You" Fudge said in shock after seeing Harry appear as if in response to his thoughts, then turning towards the nearest Auror "I want that boy arrested right now for improper use of underage magic."

"But Minister" the poor man responded "do you know who that is?"

"Of course I know who that is" sputtered Fudge angrily "that's Harry bloody Potter and if you don't arrest him right bloody now then you are fired and shortly afterward you will be placed into the cell right next to his."

"Let him have his moment" Harry whispered to the Auror "one last moment of glory before I bring the world down around him, and when we return to the Island I would be honored if you would consent to dine with me."

"Thank you Lord Azkaban" whispered back the now grinning Auror "and I would be delighted to accept your invitation to dine."

Fudge watched with growing satisfaction as the Potter boy was led away; he had the brat dead to rights as a danger to the public because of the location that the crime was committed at, after all using magic in front of muggles was a serious offence.

The Auror kept a restraining hand on Harry's shoulder until they had left the Minister's sight, whereupon he immediately released the amused Lord "apologies for the treatment Lord Azkaban."

"Not a problem my good man" Harry said grinning, then turning to his assistant "Becky, as soon as he calls a press conference to announce my crimes I want him arrested in front of the reporters."

"It shall be so my Lord" said the girl hiding a grin.

"If asked for a comment" Harry's grin intensified "tell the reporters that the Lord of Azkaban is deeply saddened by the news that his good friend the Minister has been accused of such a crime and calls for a complete investigation of the office to insure the validity of the crime."

"You can't just arrest the Minister Harry" Hermione said shocked at what she was hearing.

"Why not?" Harry asked reasonably "he has committed a crime, several crimes actually so he must face up to them like anyone else."

Hermione remained silent, having no answer for her friend's statement.

Snape scowled as the door of the Leaky Caldron opened once again to admit a group of sniveling children, looking up to take note of their faces so that he would know who to give special attention to he froze in shock.

He couldn't believe it, both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord were looking for the boy in front of him and the boy was stupid enough to walk right in without any protection.

Sneering he cast a particularly painful spell that would keep the brat out for a few days, enough time to return the 'golden brat' to Dumbledore and set up enough security so that the boy would never be able to escape again.

Hermione watched in horror as a sickening ball of purple light hit Harry in the side of his face and she screamed as she watched him fall.

A dozen hidden guards revealed themselves when they began to fire spells at Snape and within seconds it was over.

"I want his Lordship's carriage here right now; I want every person in this bar Obliviated and checked for Dark Marks and I want him alive" Becky screamed at the group of guards converging on Snape.

Becky collapsed after getting the orders out and crawled over to where Hermione was cradling Harry's head in her lap, no words were exchanged between the two girls as they both held on to the boy that meant so much to them.

Back on Azkaban, the first indication that Remus had that something had gone wrong was when two rather large guards met him at the ferry and escorted him to a cell and as he sat on the wooden pallet that was to serve as his bed he wondered if it was a good sign that they had let him keep his wand; looking at the guards who seemed to be watching his every move through the bars, no he thought to himself probably not.

In his office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore learned that something had gone wrong when he received a call through his fire.

"Good afternoon" the old man said pleasantly "I don't believe that we have met."

"My name is Maxwell, I command the guard here at Azkaban" the head in the fire responded "and I have called to inform you that our alliance with the Order of the Phoenix had been suspended indefinitely."

"Whatever for?" asked Dumbledore, unable to think of a reason "I'm sure that what ever the problem it couldn't be too serious could it."

"I'm afraid that it is very serious; your man Snape attacked Harry Potter, your man Snape attacked the Lord of Azkaban, your man Snape resisted when the guards took him into custody" Maxwell responded angrily "your man Snape will be spending a long time at the prison."

"Well if you would be so good as to hand him over I'm sure we can get this misunderstanding taken care of" the old man responded politely "I'm sure whatever crimes he may have accidentally committed can be justified by his attempt to bring Harry back home to the rest of us."

"I will not be handing him over and quite frankly I find it laughable that you would attempt to use kidnapping to justify his crimes" Maxwell said sternly.

"As Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, I am going to have to insist that you release him to my custody" Dumbledore replied "it is within my right to demand that a prisoner be handed over to me."

"You don't get it do you half of my guard force wants to use Snape to set on hell of an example as to why one should never attempt to harm the Lord of Azkaban."

"And the other half" Dumbledore asked fearing the answer.

"And the other half wants to set an object lesson by exterminating the Order of the Phoenix" Maxwell finished "you had better pray to whatever gods that you believe in that our Lord Azkaban survives this attack, because if he doesn't then I don't believe your Order will out live him by too much time."

* * *

AN: Maxwell's threats to Dumbledore were serious, the people of Azkaban take Harry's safety very seriously and they are not amused by what happened.

Treck – That could work.

athenakitty – Eventually, yes Becky has a wand but she tends to exercise her power in more subtitle ways then magic, Hermione has known him for five years so she knows them all, Harry will remain in the dark about Becky's actions towards Ron and the Dursleys.

Shawn Pickett – You may be right, yes it is a magical chess school which I may focus on a bit later or may not depending on how the story goes.

Lord Ravenclaw – Harry will find out about Becky's mother at some point.

Jordan – Harry has no clue about Becky's parents. Bella may or may not know depending on how the story goes.

uten – Allmus followed his orders which were get him out of here and at the new light he understood why. Becky believes in multitasking, if she can do research on Harry and spend time with a friend at the same time then she will. I can see people getting quite adamant that it couldn't be crazy old Arthur and his plugs or Perfect Prefect Percy who would never bend the rules like that.

jestyking – Things are being told from Ron's point of view.  
  
Sweden's Pride – May have been a bit fast, I'm trying to justify this by Ron's habit of jumping into something without thinking and the fact that wealth and fame are involved.

Lady FoxFire – Possible, he has one of the best libraries on the planet and a very strong connection to the Department of Mysteries

Toras – At the moment he is more interested in hiding his identity from Dumbledore and as a consequence he is keeping it from the Weasleys.

Dassadec – I don't know, I think she could put the right spin on it.

"I saw an opportunity to help one of your friends do something that he really wished to do so I took it"

Grrinning Golden Retriever – Becky has always been a bit fanatical when it comes to Harry, even more so then the rest of Azkaban's forces. I don't think that Harry would ever know about what they did with Ron, unless the parties involved tell him and that won't be happening any time soon. I think that Harry would be a bit annoyed if he found out soon. On Azkaban Harry has as much power as he wants, yes it means that they are paroled but I doubt it would be in their best interests to leave the Island depending on their crime.

Taren-ca – Hmmm, that could work having a spell meant to deal with Dementors or have a Dementor remove the fear and pain. May have to use this if I can fit it in.

userid82 – Hermione is Muggle Borne, though their may be some wizardry in her family line somewhere.


	13. Ashes Ashes we all Fall Down

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I claim to own nothing, and it is likely that I will never own anything.

* * *

Ashes Ashes we all Fall Down

* * *

The Minister smiled as he looked over the throngs of reporters that had assembled on his word, today was going to be a glorious day for his career because he would be able to remove an obstacle and so distract the sheep that any cries against his continued rule would be silenced.

Clearing his throat in preparation for his speech he opened his mouth and began to speak, or tried to begin to speak as his first word turned into a squeak when he felt two sets of hands grab him and throw him to the floor.

"Minister Fudge, you are under arrest for Abuse of Power, Corruption, Perjury, Enlisting Others to Make False Statements, Fraud, and Jaywalking" placing restraints on him the man continued "

The watching reporters watched the Minister's arrest with glee, hoping against all hope that the Minister wouldn't chose now to develop some common sense.

Bellowing like an angry bull, the Minister attempted to throw his attackers off and break the restraints and several reporters almost fell to their knees in thanks to a higher power when they watched what happed next.

Charging their wands with electrical power, the two arresting officers began applying numerous shocks to the former Minister in an attempt to subdue him and two others emerged from the crowd muttering the Capsicum incantation while pointing their wands at the face of the resisting prisoner.

One of the camera men burst into tears of joy upon capturing the career making moment while the rest of them burst into tears of shame at missing such a perfect shot due to the fact that they had allowed the spectacle on stage to claim their attention.

All too soon for the watching reporters it was over and the limp form of their corrupt former Minister was dragged off the stage.

Numerous articles appeared over the next few days detailing every aspect of the arrest from the different hues of color that appeared on Fudges face to the type of handcuffs used, this in 'Professional Law Enforcement Magazine.'

Despite all this, most would remember the incident as it was documented just hours after the arrest in a short article that had been hurriedly placed into the 'Daily Prophet.'

_Fudge Arrested_

_by Martin Oxcart_

_A ministry press conference was the scene of a shocking revelation today when several Aurors descended on the Minister of magic charging him with numerous crimes against the public welfare._

_The assembled reporters watched in shock as the former Minister of Magic became enraged at the arresting officers and attacked with an insane strength, the officers however responded with the calmness and professionalism that we have come to expect from them in such situations when they managed to subdue the deranged man without harming him. _

Back at Azkaban, Remus was still trying to figure out what had caused the people who had treated him with more kindness and respect since the Marauders to suddenly change their attitude.

Taking care to make no sudden moves and scrupulously keeping his hand away from his wand Remus turned to face his guards "I don't suppose that you'd be willing to tell me why I've been locked up would you?"

The older guard just continued his unblinking stare but the younger guard "you know exactly why you're in here Order Scum."

"I assure you I have no idea" Remus replied evenly "if it's the whole Werewolf thing then I assure you that I am safe for at least a week."

At this pronouncement the older guard chose to speak "a member of your Order attacked Harry Potter, he attacked our Lord."

"Harry's hurt" Lupin immediately forgot about the need to refrain from sudden movements "is he going to be all right."

The guards refrained from answering choosing instead to share a somewhat puzzled glance.

"Please tell me he's going to be all right" the werewolf begged becoming frantic "I failed to save his parents, and I failed to save his god father, please tell me that it's not to late for me to help him."

"You knew his parents and god father?" the older guard asked after a moment of contemplation.

"They were my best friends and it's because of me that they are dead, if I hadn't given Sirius cause to mistrust me then they would still be alive today" Remus replied nearly breaking down into tears.

"Wait one moment Sir" the older guard said respectfully "if what you say is true then you will still be out of this cell and you may be permitted to visit his Lordship."

"Becky" Hermione tried again "Becky."

At the second repetition of her name the girl turned to look at Hermione through eyes filled with tears before answering in a dull voice "is their something you would like Hermione?"

"One of the guards has been trying to get your attention for the last few minutes" Hermione replied to the other girl.

"How are you able to remain so calm" Becky asked her friend "how can you stand seeing him lying there?"

"It's going to be ok Becky" Hermione replied, gathering the smaller girl into a hug "I know that what ever Professor Snape did won't threaten Harry's life, he hates Harry but I don't think he wants to kill him."

"You might be correct" Becky nodded calming a bit "what does the guard want?"

"I don't know" Hermione said refusing to let the younger girl go "he wouldn't tell me."

"I shall take care of it Hermione" leaving her master's side for the first time since his injury.

"I am sorry to disturb you Becky but one of the prisoners is apparently a friend of his Lordship" the guard scratched the back of his head nervously "and after he found out what happened he seemed rather worried about his Lordship's condition."

"What is his name" Becky asked, her voice refusing to be louder then a whisper.

"Remus Lupin"

"Yes, his Lordship conceders that man a friend."

"He is requesting to see his Lordship and enquiring as to his Lordship's health" the guard asked gently "what do you wish me to tell him."

"Wait one moment while I consult with my associate" Becky replied, walking back into the room.

"Hermione" Becky appeared to lose all of her confidence as she walked up to her friend "Remus Lupin is requesting permission to visit Harry, do you think Harry would like that?"

"Yes he would" Hermione replied, worried about the lost expression being worn by her friend "I think it would be a good idea for you to let him visit."

Hermione watched as Becky walked back to the guard and relayed to him Hermione's assurance that Harry would like to see his friend.

She was worried about the younger girl, worried at what might happen to her in the future if Harry was seriously harmed, worried about what might be happening if she didn't have Becky to take care of.

Gathering the smaller girl up into a hug when she returned the two sat together and watched the still form of the man who meant so much to both of them.

"What" Harry's whispered voice alerted the two watchers that he was awake "what happened?"

"You were attacked Harry" was Hermione's tearful reply "but your ok now."

"I..." Harry's reply was cut off as he suddenly found his arms full of a pair of sobbing girls, holding them tight he silently wondered at what he could have done to make the two girls care so much about him.

From the door, Remus silently took in the scene with a smile before backing out to leave the three alone.

Turning to the guards who had led him here he asked the question that had been preying on his mind since he had heard that Harry was hurt "who did this?"

Glancing nervously at the Werewolf the guards responded "a man named Snape from your own Order and questioning under Veritaserum has revealed that he was acting under the orders of your head."

"What orders" the Werewolf asked seething.

"To bring Harry Potter to him using any means necessary" the guard responded "and to use violence if they met resistance."

"I'm sure that Albus didn't mean this" Remus said appalled by what he was hearing "what was his reaction to this?"

"I've been told that he called the whole thing an accident and demanded that we turn Snape over to his custody."

"He what?" Remus nearly screamed, not believing his ears.

"Sir, I believe that you need to have a discussion with Commander Maxwell."

Snuggling against Harry's shoulder Becky was happier then she had been in her life, closing her eyes she allowed herself to fall asleep.

On Harry's other shoulder Hermione had also exhausted herself and was fast asleep.

Harry, not knowing how else to deal with being sandwiched between two slumbering girls decided to join them in slumber.

The next morning he awoke to the pleasant feeling of shared body heat from the two slumbering girls on either side.

Quirking a grin at the fact that he had managed to awaken before his assistant Harry felt warm and oddly ... content.

No good thing can last forever and in time the girls began to awake, looking around through sleep addled eyes Becky focused on Harry's smiling face "good morning Harry."

"Good morning Becky" then turning to his other side "good morning Hermione."

"Morning" mumbled the still drowsy Hermione.

"What do we have this morning Becky?"

"This morning we have one petition for asylum and citizenship" Becky said checking her book "and at your leisure you have to decide the fate of the man who attacked you."

"Tell them that they have my permission to grant the asylum on their judgment" then after a moment "who attacked me?"

"Yes Harry it shall be done" Becky said sending the approval for citizenship "a man named Severus Snape attacked you on the orders of Albus Dumbledore."

"But why?" asked Harry shocked at this latest betrayal.

"The orders were to use violence to bring you in if you resisted" Becky replied "I suppose Snape decided that you were going to resist."

"Really" said Harry in a low dangerous voice "inform Dumbledore that I cannot in good conscience ally myself with a man that has so little respect for freedom and that as of this moment the any connection that I may have had with the Order of the Phoenix is no more."

"Yes Harry" Becky said nodding in satisfaction "what do you wish to do with Snape?"

"Let him go" Harry held up a hand to forestall protest "he was following what he believed to be a valid order by his Commander so I am not going to punish him any further."

"Yes my Lord" Becky said a bit sullenly "may I at least send a note with him saying that such behavior will not be tolerated in the future?"

"If you like" Harry replied with a smile "now let's get some breakfast."

In the maximum security ward of the prison the guards stared incredulously at the orders to dispose of the prisoner that had appeared on a piece of slate that served as their message board.

'_My Lord Azkaban wishes that the man known as Severus Snape be released, so in accordance to his will you are ordered to take the man Snape and erase all knowledge from his mind pertaining to the last two weeks, you are further ordered to release him, he has also willed that a copy of the note that will be later provided be placed on the man after his release.'_

Minutes later another message appeared on the board, this one serving to raise their spirits a bit.

'_I would draw your attention to the fact that my Lord Azkaban did not order that the prisoner be unharmed or conscious upon his release.'_

Five hours later, two young children that were playing found the unconscious body of Hogwart's Potion Master dumped in a pile of garbage in the woods behind Hogsmead.

He was rushed to Hogwarts Hospital wing where he was treated for numerous broken bones and deep tissue injuries.

Lodged in his throat was a small bit of parchment that had been charmed to be water proof, on it was written a note to Dumbledore.

'_My Lord Azkaban demands that in the future you keep your dog on a shorter leash, for in the future such behavior will not be tolerated.' _

Sitting in his office, the Headmaster of Hogwarts wondered silently how things could have gone so wrong.

* * *

AN: Probably won't be able to update regularly this weekend. Hermione is so calm because she has to take care of Becky who has almost stopped functioning without Harry. You may have noticed how lenient Harry was when he dealt with Snape especially compared to his treatment of Dolohov. This is because Snape attacked him, Dolohov attacked Hermione and Becky, and the whole deadly force vs. not deadly force may have had something to do with it also.

Thanks for the Reviews, some replies are below.

David M. Potter – Not in the last chapter, the problems with Snape distracted everyone.

jestyking – Bingo

Jordan – Remus will be fine after Harry wakes up and orders his release, the girls did not get their vests but they will be picked up by someone 'off camera.'

Philip Jacobs – Glad someone noticed the similarity to Becky and her mother. I wasn't planning on having Remus leave the Order until I read your post and a few scenes came to mind.

Xenocide – A lot of Islanders become Aurors and Unspeakables, something I mentioned before and plan to explore in more detail later.

uten – If the Islanders were to hear all that Snape had done to Harry before Harry woke up then the things that they would do to him would make Bella weep in envy of her daughter's creativity. You guessed my plot here good job. Fudge will soon be a guest staying at the pleasure of Lord Azkaban guarded by men who would like nothing better then to express their displeasure at the treatment that their Lord suffered at the hands of the Minister. Glad someone liked the scene with Becky, your correct she is well trained enough to keep her head in a crisis but after that crucial few seconds she was useless and you were also right in assuming that not even she is that fanatical. It just penetrated his mind that he was dealing with a large group of well trained fanatics that knew the locations of most of his people, Dumbledore just got a short class in the importance of opsec though I doubt it will take after all this is the same man that allows everyone in the order to know the identity of his spy in Voldemort's ranks. Harry will wake up and Snape will have only several dozen broken bones to show for his experience.

colon – cool, thanks.

Korifi – Despite what it is the DOM is still a part of the government which means low pay.

userid82 – I wouldn't want to be Umbitch when the citizens of Azkaban find out what she did. I once read a story where they spent years planning their revenge on someone before they finally found him one night, capturing the man they dragged him off and a few days later an arm was found on the man's door step, then a leg, and so on by the end of the story the number had reached 15 arms and 12 legs, using magic to grow things back on is not always a good thing for the person being healed.


	14. Conversations with the Headmaster

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, someone else does.

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Conversations with the Headmaster

* * *

Closing his eyes, Albus Dumbledore felt the weight of his many years and silently asked himself how things could have spiraled out of his control.

Walking to his fire place he tossed in some floo powder "Azkaban, the Lord's chambers" and hoped that he would be able to resolve the difficulties that he was experiencing with his former ally.

"What is it you want?" asked the unsmiling visage of the Lord's personal assistant "haven't you done enough."

"I am calling to attempt to mend the damage to our alliance" Dumbledore replied seriously "I hope that at the very least I can begin the healing process."

"I do not see how that will be possible" the girl began to look dangerous "you have committed a great crime against the Island and its people."

"Yes, well" Albus responded, a bit put off "I was hoping to arrange a meeting with your Lord or Harry."

"I do not think that would be possible" the girl said firmly cutting him off "though I will relay your request to his Lordship, what is it you wish to discuss?"

"I would like to discuss the difficulties between myself and your Lord, and I would like to speak to Harry to insure that he is all right"

Dumbledore watched as the girl in the fire seemed to stare at nothing for a second "his Lordship says that he has nothing to discuss with you but he accepts your request to see Harry Potter."

"Thank you I..."

"Do not thank me" the girl cut him off "you will take the ferry to Azkaban Island and comply with the demands of the guards that meet you."

With that, the girl closed the connection and Dumbledore was left alone with his thoughts.

As he walked to Hogsmead, Albus pondered to himself as to what the correct way to deal with Harry would be and reaching the apparition point he was disappointed that he still had no answer.

Apparating to the dock where he was to meet the ferry his thoughts still refused to provide him with an answer during his wait and in the end he resolved to play it by ear and determine his plan of action after meeting with Harry.

Dumbledore watched in fascination as the ferry appeared out of a bank of fog and stepped aboard as soon as it stopped at the dock.

Remembering a bit of mythology, he reached into his pocket for a Knut and handed it to the boat man who accepted it without a word.

The ferry ride seemed to take forever and the fact that the silent boat men ignored his presence insured that he could not even engage them in conversation to break up the monotony.

After several hours of boredom the ferry finally pulled into its berth and Albus noticed several guards waiting for him on the pier.

"Albus Dumbledore?" One of the expressionless men asked in a voice devoid of tone.

"I am" he responded with a smile "though I am surprised that so many of you have chosen to meet me."

"You will come with us and follow our instructions, failure to do so will result in your termination" the guard replied ignoring the old wizard's attempt at humor.

"Termination?" The old wizard continued to smile "what ever do you mean by that."

"I mean that should you be so stupid as to provide me with an excuse, I will take great pleasure in killing you for your crimes against my Lord Azkaban and the Island of Azkaban" the guard responded in his dead tone.

"I see" Dumbledore replied losing his smile "then I shall do as you say."

Albus followed the guards through a town filled with a confusing array of turns and dead ends to a large castle where they were met by several more guards.

"Hello" Albus greeted the new comers and was disappointed to receive no response beyond a motion to follow.

After some minutes they arrived in a small room "you will remove your wand and any other magical or metallic items that you are currently holding" one of the unsmiling guards instructed.

Albus spent several minutes removing various items and bits of clothing, placing them in a large box that was offered for the task.

"Is this really necessary?" he asked in annoyance when they indicated that his socks and glasses were to be included in the pile "I assure you that I am not going to 'misbehave' in any way"

"You are a man who has endangered the Lord of Azkaban in the past with your actions" was the reply of one of the large guards.

"Very well" Albus replied removing the offending items "now may I see Harry?"

"Come this way" replied a anomalous guard "I am required to inform you that any sudden or threatening gesture will be met with deadly force."

Following his guards through a door Albus was happy to see Harry waiting for him "it's good to see you my dear boy, but before we start may I ask you a question."

"Ask away" Harry responded evenly, motioning for Albus to take a seat.

"Was all of that necessary Harry" Albus asked sadly upon seeing the boy "do you so mistrust an old man that you force me to undergo so much."

"It wasn't my idea" Harry responded with a smirk "if I had allowed the guards their way you would now be shackled to the chair in a way that would prevent you from moving anything but your lips."

"I see" Albus replied evenly "I suppose that we have much to discuss and I thank you for granting me this opportunity to speak with you..."

"Don't thank me" Harry interrupted Albus's speech "I wasn't going to allow the meeting, so if you must thank somebody thank Hermione she said that I should at least listen to what you had to say for yourself."

"I realize that you are angry with me Harry but I do not know why you are feeling such rage that you would so shut me off from your life" Dumbledore asked shocked at the bitterness expressed in Harry's statement.

"Why am I angry, why am I angry" Harry asked in a low dangerous voice "you have no respect for my privacy, you have no respect for my opinions, you have a strange need to control my life, and to top it off you ordered Snape to attack me and you have the audacity to ask me why I am angry."

"Harry, you have to understand that what I have done I have done your own good" Dumbledore answered with a smile "it was all to keep you safe."

"Really" Harry asked dangerously "even if I were inclined to accept your statement, how would you explain your order to use force if necessary to bring me in?"

"The only reason that I gave such an order was because of your actions."

"Do tell" Harry asked in a voice that betrayed no emotion.

"By your actions, you have proven time and time again that you lack the maturity to ensure your own safety" Dumbledore explained in a grandfatherly voice "so I ordered that if you continued to act in such a childish manner then you were to be stunned and brought back to the order."

"Really" Harry smiled at him "then how would that explain Snape hitting me with a painful dark curse without warning."

"I'm sure that Severus had his reasons Harry" Dumbledore smiled, sure that Harry would accept his explanation "and it is not your place to question them."

"Then whose place is it?" Harry asked "is it the Department of Magical Law Enforcement who would have sentenced him to several years in Prison for the use of a dark curse, or is it the Azkaban guard who advocated his slow execution, or if not who is best qualified to make the decision?"

"As interesting as this conversation is, it is not the one that I have come to Azkaban to have with you" Dumbledore took a deep breath before continuing in his most sincere voice "Harry, I have come to Azkaban to convince you to return with me to your family, it is imperative that you recharge your blood protection."

"And why pray tell would I do that" Harry asked amused at the old man attempts to change the subject.

"To keep yourself safe" Dumbledore replied "you must remain safe until you are fully trained and ready to defeat Voldemort in a duel and until that time I am afraid that you must make certain sacrifices."

"No" was Harry's short answer.

"What" Dumbledore asked amazed at the way the boy disregarded his pleas "my dear boy you must return to your relatives."

"No, I don't believe that I will" Harry said with a smile "if that was all you wished to discuss then please be on your way."

Hearing Harry's pronouncement, Dumbledore seemed to deflate "I did wish to discuss something else if you will allow me and as it falls within my duties as the headmaster I hope you will consent to listen to it."

"What is it?"

"As you have been living on Azkaban Island, I have been unable to send you your OWL scores" Dumbledore said slowly "and as I was in such a hurry to come to this meeting I neglected to bring them with me."

"Don't worry about it" Harry said with a wave of his hand "while it would have been nice to get them, more of a delay would not matter much."

"You are correct" Albus said with a nod "however I do know you scored well enough to attend Defense against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, and Potions if you so desire."

"Thank you for bringing the subject up" Harry said with a nod "I had almost forgotten, I do not believe that I will be able to attend Hogwarts this fall."

"But why not" asked the headmaster in shock "what possible reason could you have for dropping out of class?"

"I don't believe that I will have the time to attend Hogwarts and do my duties to the Island."

"Harry, I'm sure that the Lord of the Island would excuse your duties so that you..." Dumbledore's grandfatherly voice trailed off.

"So that I could what?" Harry asked amused.

"It's you" Dumbledore stared at Harry in shock "with all of the clues how could I not see it sooner."

"What's me?"

"Somehow you have become the Lord of Azkaban" Dumbledore said quietly, almost to himself "do you know what this means."

"Tell me" was Harry's dry response.

"It means that once you and your men join the Order then my ability to prevent death eater attacks will be enormous" Dumbledore said in excitement "think of all the good that can be done."

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but there is no way in hell that I would trust my men to your command" Harry said in a firm tone.

"But why" Dumbledore asked "do you hate me so much that you would condemn untold innocents to their death?"

"Condemn untold innocents huh" Harry shook his head and continued "no I don't hate you so much that I would do such a thing, I don't trust you."

"I see"

"No, I don't believe that you do" Harry continued to shake his head "what are the qualifications that you have to command a large group of men in the fight with Voldemort?"

"I defeated the Dark Lord Grindelwald and I have dedicated my life to the defeat of the dark" Dumbledore replied.

"That's nice" Harry smiled "but it doesn't exactly make you qualified to lead troops now does it."

"Harry I..."

"Am an amateur playing in a game that is best left to professionals" Harry interrupted "and I am not willing to sacrifice my men to your ego."

"Harry please reconsider this" Dumbledore pleaded "think of the good I could do."

"I prefer to think of the damage you could do" Harry responded "I also prefer to think about how much more effective my men are when they take the field under competent commanders."

"You can't be thinking of yourself Harry" Dumbledore gently chided "your arguments about my fitness are doubly true of yours."

"No" Harry replied amused "I am thinking about the men that I employ to lead my troops into combat."

"I understand Harry" Dumbledore nodded sadly "is their nothing I can do to at least convince you to return to Hogwarts?"

"No there is noth..." Harry cut off in mid sentence "I suppose that I may be willing to conceder it if you would be willing to meet several conditions."

"What conditions Harry?" Dumbledore asked, eager for the return of his favorite student.

"The first condition is that you swear a wizarding oath not to reveal my secretes including my status as Lord of Azkaban to anyone" Harry said firmly "and that includes the Order."

"I can agree to that" Dumbledore nodded slowly "what else"

"When I return it will be as a part of a group of exchange students from Azkaban" Harry continued "and they will be given separate quarters to remove them from the house rivalry."

"I can agree to that" Dumbledore nodded "but if you will indulge in an old man's curiosity, why do you wish them to remain unsorted?"

"You may wish to continue this separation between the houses and the hatred that it promotes if you wish, but I do not wish my people to learn such unfounded distrust in their fellow students" Harry replied "I want them to be able to make friends with members of all houses without house rivalry getting in the way."

"I suppose that I can understand that Harry" Dumbledore nodded "and if that is your wish I have no problem in allowing it, do you have any other demands?"

"I do" Harry said "my guards will be given unrestricted access to Hogwarts with instructions to detain for questioning anyone found bearing a dark mark."

"What about Professor Snape?" Albus questioned mildly.

"I will instruct them not to detain him but I warn you that they will not tolerate his petty attempts at revenge upon my father or his bigotry."

"Petty attempts at revenge, bigotry?"

"The way he singles me out and the way that he favors his own house" Harry replied, then after a moment of thought "though I may be inclined to have them overlook his total lack of teaching ability."

"Harry, I know that you dislike him but Professor Snape is one of the finest Potion Masters in Europe."

"He is also the worst teacher in the school, I don't know if this is due to a complete lack of ability or the fact that he has no desire to impart knowledge but the simple fact is that the man is incapable of imparting knowledge."

"I disagree Harr..."

"Then you are so removed from the daily life of the school or so blinded by preconceived notions that you can not make a rational assessment" Harry interrupted.

"If you wish I will investigate your accusations" Dumbledore conceded "but I do not believe that I will find anything."

"Fine" Harry nodded "I will also require that I be exempt from the school rules and by proxy that any student that is a citizen of Azkaban be given similar immunity."

"Why do you wish that Harry?"

"My responsibilities to the Island may require me to leave at odd times and I believe that this will simplify things" Harry replied "the students will be given immunity because they are my subjects and as my subjects they will answer to me for any infractions that they might commit."

"I understand" Dumbledore replied "I see no difficulty in allowing that, but I must ask if I may instruct the professors and staff to inform you of any problems with the Azkaban students?"

"Have them report it to one of the guards" Harry said with a grin "it will be easier for everyone that way."

"I can agree to that, what else do you wish?"

"You will not interfere with my life again and you will not attempt to force me to do anything again."

"I can agree to that as well Harry provided that you agree to keep your body guards around and look after your safety" Dumbledore stipulated.

"All right" nodded Harry.

"Do you have any other demands Harry?"

"That covers it but I reserve the right to ask for a few more things if the need should occur, you agree to all of this and I will return to Hogwarts and remain a student until I successfully complete my NEWTS is that satisfactory?"

"That would be fine Harry; I'm glad that we could come to this agreement."

"I am as well"

"When can I expect to see your list of students and the list of classes that you would like to attend?"

"Send over Professor McGonagall, I'd like her help in selecting the students" Harry replied "and if you would be so kind as to send my things with her I would be grateful."

"That can be arranged Harry" Dumbledore replied with a laugh "is their any way that I could persuade you to resume our alliance?"

"Not at this time" Harry replied "though who can say what the future may bring."

"Thank you Harry" Dumbledore replied "I hate to run but I must be about making the preparations for the exchange students."

"Ok Professor, if you would be so kind as to perform the wizarding oath first..."

"Of course Harry, I apologize for not thinking of it" Dumbledore replied, chagrined by his oversight "I Albus Percival Wulfric Dumbledore swear by the core of my wand and my ability to perform magic that I will not reveal any of the Lord of Azkaban, Harry James Potter's secretes upon pain of dishonor and loss of magical ability unto my dieing day."

"Thank you and you have no need to apologize for such a small oversight" Harry smiled "I enjoyed our chat professor; perhaps we can have another in the future."

"I would like that Harry" Dumbledore replied, the twinkle returning to his eyes as he took his leave.

* * *

AN: Two points if you can tell me why Dumbledore gave the boat man a Knut. About the ferry, if you are in a bank of fog what is to stop you from taking a less then direct route to the Island.

Lots of reviews, thanks for giving them and a few responses are below.

jestyking – Well, I've seen a horse fly.

OldNick – Bingo.

captuniv – Harry already mentioned how Becky has 'creative' ways of following his orders when he tries to get her to do things that she doesn't think proper, I suppose that he wouldn't be too terribly surprised that she would have a different way of interpreting other orders too.

Samantha – Nope, not ignoring you. Remus has been given quite a few hints about who the Lord of Azkaban is and he hadn't yet realized who in the last chapter because of his worry about Harry.

Maxennce – Snape knows that most people can counter a stunner so he used something that they wouldn't be able to counter.

uten – Yup, the guards were a bit shook up when they spoke to Remus and he put two and two together, this was confirmed when he found Harry in the Lord's bed and the Lord of Azkaban's personal assistant sobbing in Harry's arms. There is a small school on the Island which has not been shown yet. Becky was planning on making Snape regret the day he was born, but Harry's orders were Harry's orders. One has jumped ship and more will follow if the rift is not patched. I didn't think that Dumbledore would care so much about what Snape had done, he is Dumbledore's personal project and as such he gets a lot of trust. It is right before his birthday.

userid82 - Have not decided who the next Minister will be. The guards are still working within the law which means that they collect evidence before making arrests that could change at any time if Harry decides to declare war.  
  
athenakitty –yup, yes, Very Much, if Remus even bothers talking to Dumbledore again, no plans on this, nope, he doesn't think that he made much of a screw up.

kestral-girl – Harry became immune to the Dementors when he assumed the mantle of Lord of Azkaban. The Prison is on one end of the Island the Castle is on the other and the town surrounds the castle and is a 'castle town' which means that the streets are designed to make you lost.

tk-ane – If I can find a good place to put it.

Cbc ) – There is a small school which I have a few plans for. Molly will eat his soul when she finds out.

Lazuline – Like Hermione, he is allowing what he knows to get in the way of figuring it out, he knows that the Lord of Azkaban is some sort of immortal daemon so it couldn't possibly be Harry Potter.

Rift120 – They are pariahs mostly due to the fact that the majority of them are descended from convicts, though the fact that they are willing to use anything that works regardless of where it was developed does not gain them friends. Didn't think of the Floo, even if Harry ordered them to stay away their would be a surprising number of his body guards 'vacationing' in the area immediately around him at all times. I do have a possible Idea on how to return Sirius but I have not decided wither to use it or not. Heh, if other writers want to write other stories in this sub universe they are welcome to. Hmmm, hadn't thought of that AU, could be more then a bit interesting letting a bitter and hostile Lord of Azkaban take the throne. I like the Idea of Harry goes to Azkaban combined with Lord of Azkaban.

"We've come to visit Harry Potter"

"There is no Harry Potter in Azkaban Prison"

"How is that possible? I know that he wasn't released."

"Harry Potter's death occurred only moments after his arrival on the Island."

I do have a scene for Dobby, but I hadn't thought of Dobby and Becky comparing notes ... Hmmm. Harry will be attacked by an enraged Owl as soon as he is in a place that she can find him, in Diagon Alley she just missed him though if she had been a few minutes earlier then Snape would be suffering from numerous Owl related injuries.  
  
dave-gerecke – Albus was not unaware of the regulations about the inheritance being collected. The funds would not have passed to Malfoy, he just assumed that they would have next in line would have been any magical children of Harry followed by any magical children of Dudley. The Blacks are one of the oldest and Richest, and Albus was well aware of that. What he was not aware of was the stipend provided to the Black sisters and Draco or its significance to the Dark Lord. The HQ would have been safe until Harry's children claimed their inheritance and kicked the Order out. The alarms in his office went off, he was curious until he realized that the Lord of Azkaban was Harry's new patron. The watches and Ron are another thing I meant to give more time to, if you will recall during the fight Hermione mentioned that Ron wasn't picking up and this was because Ron was not wearing the earring, that's Bill's way of standing out. Have considered Light Cavalry, but in this case it is not practical yet. Look at it this way, death munchers use 'hit and run' tactics which means that if you wish to fight them you need to be highly mobile, Apparation and Portkeys are much better, there is also the fact that the majority of combat will be in urban terrain which is the worst place for Horse Cav. though I will include it if I can find a place for it. It was from the merchant's guild so they were Azkaban based traders, should have spent more time on this I guess and you are correct that Harry needs to spend more time on this. Harry has been learning Oclumency it and the dueling practice takes place off camera for the most part may have to devote more scenes to this. Not known to all the Aurors, Fudge's body guards would be an elite and rather special unit. Magic in front of muggles was because the battle took place in a muggle neighborhood and Fudge was hoping to use that as justification. At the time Dumbledore was assuming that the guard was saying that any attack on Harry was seen as an attack on the Lord of Azkaban. Dumbledore is an armature playing in a game that should be left to professionals and he is also use to people giving him quite a bit of leeway in whatever he wishes to do, especially since Voldemort's return is public knowledge. He also figured that he could explain that Harry belonged to the Order and that they were just returning him home where he would be safe. Wiped Snape's memory so that he wouldn't know anything that could be used against the Island later. You are correct about Remus, when the Order finds out them many of them will be less then pleased. Becky is not the second in command of Azkaban, the reason that people will follow her orders without question is because they figure that anything she says comes from the Lord Azkaban, the reason that they asked about Remus is because she was the only one on the Island that they could trust to confirm his story and decided wither Harry would like a visit or not, that being said you are correct. Great review, thanks for it.  
  
Crydwyn – At the moment Harry is going without lessons and if he remains at odds with the Order he could always use his contacts at the ministry to procure more teaching.  
  
Philip Jacobs – Snape was letting his ego and dislike for Harry get in the way of common sense. Becky was just being her usual through self.

Zaxxon – Thanks, who knows what the future may bring.

Baby-Trix – By your command.


	15. New Wands

Disclaimer: I do not own the work which this story is based on and I would appreciate not being sued.

The people who own this work are an author and several publishing companies and larger media companies that could probably stomp me like a bug.

They are very scary people.

* * *

New Wands

* * *

"I think that you handled that rather well Harry" Becky said to Harry as he walked out of the room where he had meet Dumbledore.

"Thank you Becky" Harry smiled at her fondly "do I have anything else scheduled for today?"

"Azkaban's newest citizen has requested an audience" then after a moment "I believe that you would be quite disappointed to miss this meeting Harry."

"All right, let's take care of that right now" Harry replied "anything else?"

"Do to the attack; you have yet to receive your new wand."

"Set that up after the meeting with my new citizen."

Becky nodded absently as she made a notation in her book "your audience is in this room Harry."

Walking through the door, Harry began to introduce himself "good afternoon, my name is ... Remus?"

"Hello Harry" the last of the Marauders greeted him "how are you today?"

"You're Azkaban's new citizen?" Harry said in shock.

"I am" the older man confirmed "after I found out that you were here I felt that it was my duty as your honorary uncle to follow you here to make sure you stay out of trouble."

"Bit late for that" Harry grinned "but what about the Order?"

"After Dumbledore's response to Snape's actions I want nothing to do with him or his Order" Remus answered evenly "besides, you are my priority and after you left their protection then I no longer had a reason to stay."

"I ... I'm really glad that you're here Remus" Harry said grinning like mad.

As the two continued their conversation, Becky discreetly backed out of the room to give them a bit of privacy.

"What was his reaction?" Hermione excitedly asked her confederate, after Becky closed the door on Harry's reunion.

"He reacted in the manner you predicted he would" Becky responded with a smile.

"Good" Hermione gave the other girl a matching grin "I think that it will do Harry good to have Remus around."

Becky nodded "I agree there is another matter that I would like to speak with you about."

"What do you want to talk about?" Hermione asked her friend.

"Well as you said, it is good that Remus has decided to accept citizenship" Becky danced around the issue "it gives him protection from the anti werewolf laws and it keeps him close to Harry."

"Yes, and" Hermione asked a bit puzzled by the question.

"And I think it would be a good idea if we were to think about selectively offering citizenship to a few more people" Becky continued "not many, just the cream of the crop to make Harry happy."

"Good idea Becky" Hermione nodded "but who should we bring in..."

"I have an idea on someone who would be perfect" Becky chipped in "she is intelligent, and Harry really seams to enjoy spending time around her."

"Ok" Hermione said slowly, trying to think of who Becky might be thinking of "whom?"

"I was hoping that you would consent to become a citizen of Azkaban" Becky blurted out "you all ready live here and we have one of the best libraries in the world and you are Harry's best friend and I was hoping that you would stay because you are my only friend and I was really hoping you would stay."

"I..." Hermione responded shocked "I'll think about it Becky."

"Please Hermione" the smaller girl begged "the only thing that would be different would be that Harry could order you to do something but you and I both know that he would never make you do something."

"I'll do it" Hermione caved in to her friend's pleading "you're right, it's not like I don't spend all my time here anyway and it is for Harry."

Becky threw her arms around her best friend and began to smile "thank you."

Hermione just nodded as she returned the embrace "it's ok Becky, it's ok."

The girls chatted as they waited for Harry to end his meeting with Remus and after several minutes the door opened and Harry joined them.

"Thanks for setting that up girls" Harry brushed a tear out of his eye "I really appreciate that, should we go get my new wand now?"

"I believe that there is one small but important matter to deal with before that Harry" Becky smiled at him "Hermione has agreed accept citizenship in the Island if you are willing to grant it."

"Of course" Harry answered quickly, then a bit curiously "but why?"

"The same reasons as Remus" Hermione answered quietly "because you are my friend and I wish to stay close to you."

"Great" Harry nodded enthusiastically "it will be great to have you around."

Hermione smiled at her friend's heart felt comment and released her lingering doubts at the decision.

The wand maker was waiting at the door to Harry's chambers when the group walked up.

"Hello again" Harry greeted the wand maker with a smile "I've been told that my wand has been completed."

"It has my Lord" the man bowed, arms out stretched and presenting a case made of polished black wood.

"Excellent" Harry said as he took the case "would you mind joining us in my apartments while I test this, there are a few things I wish to discuss with you."

"Certainly my Lord" the craftsman said happily "I live to serve."

Harry opened the case and looked lovingly at his new wand "it's a work of art" he whispered as reverently lifted it out of the case.

Levitating the case the wand had come in Harry noted that while there was no power difference, his new wand seemed "more controlled."

"Yes my Lord" the wand maker answered Harry's statement "as its every aspect was fine tuned for you it will be much more controlled."

"How so?" Harry asked, quickly getting over his surprise.

"As you know my Lord, a wand is nothing more then a lens for your magical power to allow better control over the result then accidental magic" pausing for breath "this wand is merely a lens that has been fine tuned to your magical power."

"Fascinating" Harry answered, placing the wand back into its case "the other matter that I wished to discuss with you was fitting the girls for new wands."

"But Harry" Hermione protested "I couldn't ask you to go to that expense."

"This is the same as the Dragon Hide Hermione" Harry replied "it is a matter of your safety and by proxy my safety."

Hermione's protests ended when she was distracted by Azkaban's master wand crafts man opening his leather bag.

Harry watched in amusement as the two girls underwent the same process of wand customization that he had experienced a short time earlier.

"Very unusual" the wand maker commented to himself after the girls had finished "you Augrey feathers from the same bird as the cores of your wands, you wands are both Rosewood from the heart of the same tree, and your controlling runes are identical."

"But what does that mean?" Hermione asked intrigued.

"It means that you will either be great opponents or...."

"Or?" Becky asked.

"Or you will find yourselves sharing a great many things" the wand maker replied.

"Are our wands really the same?" Hermione asked, eager to learn more about a new subject.

"There is one difference, yours is from the tip of the left wing" then turning to look at Becky "and yours is from the right."

The rest of the day was uneventful and before Harry knew it he was opening his eyes to see Becky's smiling face "good morning Harry."

"Morning Becky" Harry responded a bid drowsily "what's on the schedule today?"

"You are clear aside from your meeting with Professor McGonagall to select the exchange students" the girl responded "would you like me to invite Hermione to attend?"

"Please do" Harry nodded as he got out of bed "Hermione is probably Professor McGonagall's favorite student and I know that they will want to see each other."

At the ferry dock, Minerva McGonagall waited nervously for the boat that would take her to the Island of Azkaban.

The transfiguration professor involuntarily shivered as the docks were blanketed by a thick fog, and then the ferry arrived.

Stepping onto the ferry, she let her face fall into the stern mask she used to chastise misbehaving students and took her seat.

The ride to Azkaban Island was much shorter then her conversation with the Headmaster had led her to believe and they were pulling up to the docks in no time.

Stepping on to the docks, she favored the waiting guards with her most withering glare and in her strictest tone "well, what are you waiting for get on with it."

"Yes Miss" answered the surprisingly respectful guard "my Lord Azkaban has requested that you meet with him at your soonest possible convenience."

"Of course" she said shocked into her normal tone "if you would be so good as to show me the way."

"This way Miss" the guard nodded and motioned for her to follow.

McGonagall was shocked; from what Albus had described she had expected to be treated like a leper at best and a criminally insane leper at worst, following the guard she soon found herself before a wooden door.

"Here we are Miss" the guard bowed as he opened the door.

Walking into the room the Professor was surprised to be met by her two favorite students and another girl "Harry, Hermione I was told that you would be here but I was told that I would be meeting with the Lord of Azkaban."

"You will be Professor" Hermione responded "but before you speak with him I am going to have to ask you to swear that you will not reveal anything you learn here today or in your future dealings with the Island."

"I so swear that I will never tell a soul" McGonagall agreed quickly after looking into the eyes of her student "now will you please tell me what's going on here."

"Of course" Harry responded "I called you here to help me pick out which of my subjects would be best for the student exchange."

"Which of your subjects..." McGonagall repeated.

"Yes" Harry agreed "aside from Becky and Hermione I wanted your opinion on who I should bring."

"This isn't funny Mr. Potter" McGonagall said refusing to be taken in by his joke "now cut the games or I will have you in detention for a month."

"My Lord Azkaban is not joking" Becky interrupted the Professor's tirade.

Hearing it from a native shocked the older woman into silence as she finally began to believe the truth of the statement "how did this happen Harry, how did you become a Lord?"

"It's a long story Professor" Harry gave her a heart melting grin "but the short version is that when I went to Gringotts to claim my inheritance I got more then I bargained for."

"I see" the Professor nodded "but why did you request me, why not Albus?"

"Because he and I are having trust issues right now and out of all the Hogwarts Professors, I trust, and respect you the most" Harry responded.

"I see" the Minerva was deeply touched by the statement "I will do what I can to be equal to the amount of trust you have in me."

"Thank you Professor" Harry nodded smiling "how many students were you hoping to find?"

"I hadn't thought about it Harry" then after a moment of thought "perhaps ten or so."

"Then we have to recruit seven additional students besides the three of us" Becky nodded entering the conversation "do you wish them all to be in one year or do you wish them to be spread out?"

"Spread out I suppose" McGonagall responded after a moment of thought "that will give each year a student to interact with besides the three of you."

"If that is your wish Professor" Becky nodded as she began to make notations in her book "several candidates will be waiting for us when we arrive."

While all this was happening in another part of the castle was Squeakers the rat.

Squeakers had, as a young rat escaped from the castle's potion master and her terrible experiments and then for no reason ... he imploded.

* * *

AN: A bit of a short chapter but I have to work out a few details for the next part and I wanted to be sure to get out at least one chapter today, in the next chapter you will see Azkaban's school and I have to think op a few OOCs to fill it with. The bit with a rat at the end was in response to one of my reviews.

Thanks for the Reviews, replies to a few are below and kudos to all who knew about the river Styx and Charon.

Lady FoxFire – Correct, thanks for adding a few things that I didn't know.

Felis Non Domesticus – Just a reference I through in because of all of the mythology references that JKR puts in Harry Potter and you are correct that I added it because Azkaban is considered 'Hell on Earth' by many in the wizarding world. Hagrid will have Nightmares in his class if I can find a place to put the scene, I personally think that he would love the Dangerous horses with flaming manes and tails.

Rift120 – May have to fill the castle with guards that have weird personality quirks. Will try to expand on the whole Dark Lord's hobby subplot.

"I'm sorry master, but the store was out of fukus in your size"

"**WHAT...**How am I supposed to dress up as Pretty Sailor Dark Lord at AniCon if I don't have a FUKU ... CRUCIO."

Love the Draco idea too.

"Hey Azkaban student, you really should hang out with a better class of students then Potty" Draco smirked to the pretty young witch.

"And you really should be neutered to prevent the gene pool from being so badly polluted as to produce more Malfoys" replied Becky as she drove her knee into his groin.

It was several hours before Draco stopped whimpering, straightening up he began the long walk to the hospital wing only to receive another knee to the groin.

"Forgot my quill" Becky explained as she bent down to pick up the missing item, then taking care to give him another swift kick between the legs she took her leave.

Draco's only response was to whimper and silently wonder to the gods what he had done to deserve this.

This had the unfortunate consequence of flooding the heavens with so much laughter that nothing could be done for a week, but since that has nothing to do with this story we shall stop writing about it and never speak of it again.

Philip Jacobs – Hedwig could have gone to one of the accepted points of the Island for Owls to arrive if she had known that Harry was on the island and then using her link found him from there. Still working on what to use to deliver mail on the Island, looking for a creature that is said to be a harbinger of doom or something that is thought to carry the souls of the dead or something like that, do have a few ideas and I hope to have something figured out before the Azkaban students arrive at Hogwarts. In the beginning I can see the students at Hogwarts thinking that the Azkaban exchange students are in awe of 'The Boy Who Lived' but I can't see that working forever.

Remembering a bit of mythology, he reached into his pocket for a Knut and handed it to the boat man who handed it back in disgust and then in an annoyed cockney accent "Look gov, don't know what sort of ferryman you think I am but I don't take that sort of thing."

Three hours, and a large pile of discarded items later Dumbledore handed the boatman a feather and hoped for the best.

The ferryman nodded and accepting the payment without a word the boatman dipped his oar into the water and began the long trip to the Island.

pheonixrising – Glad you like the Humor, thanks for the review.

uten – Oops, thanks for pointing out that mistake it has been fixed. I agree, don't believe that the Headmaster will do much to look into Snape's conduct. Heh can't blame him for trying. Yup, while reading the books I couldn't find any qualifications Dumbledore had aside from the fact that he defeated the previous Dark Lord and looking at the time line I found on the lexicon he did it while he was a professor at Hogwarts not an Auror or anything similar. Do reread it myself but the there their thing slips past most of the time, will try to catch more errors though, was in a bit of a hurry this time to get a chapter out. Two points to Ravenclaw.

Shadowed Rains – Heh

markcohen – Dumbledore has accepted the fact that he can not force Harry to do anything and he is making an effort to salvage the situation so that he still has something. Forgot about the tower and a Sniper post, thanks for bringing it up. Cat – Heh, think about what Harry promised.

athenakitty – Dumbledore is hoping to salvage the situation. The guards wanted to give dumbles a cavity search but Harry decided not to mention that little tidbit. Harry will give Dumbledore nothing. Just gave me a great idea for Draco which is a bit of a modification on what I was going to do. Harry may come clean with some of the Weasleys. If Molly finds out she will do terrible things to them. Don't believe that Harry will bother telling Dumbledore anything that doesn't have to do with the school. The ferryman wouldn't let the souls of the dead onto his boat without payment.

jestyking – I would say Monkey, as they throw their fecal matter away from them it is my guess that they find the smell so horrible that they wish to move it as far away from themselves as possible. Yes the dead have eyes, until they get eaten by crows.

userid82 – Hadn't thought about Fluffy, may have to include a conversation between Hagrid and whoever looks after the Nightmares about it. M.O.M would not bother them and I think that the death munchers would avoid them like the plague. I would put in the scene but I don't have enough room, the guards in Azkaban now know virtually everything you can think of about Snape, and Snape now knows that even with magical healing multiple fractures are unpleasant at best. Hadn't thought about the Weasley twins on Island Security, Hmmmm. Don't think the twins will hire Remus, seen it done too many times and while I like it I want something original. Tom will find out after the Death Eaters gather up enough courage to tell him.

lord of wolves – Very perceptive, I do have a few ways around this though and some hints were in some of the reviews.

aloavi – It's not Harry it's his people that are the key to success.

Lunatic Pandora1 – I get a lot of reviews, if I answered all of them I wouldn't have time to write. Snape made a giant mistake in thinking with his ego and he paid for it, he may or may not make another.

lisa14 – Don't know what will end up happening with Snape, he may just retire to a quiet lab where he can be alone with his potions and away from children.

MoonKittyru – Heh, now I gotta think up all sorts of weird code names.

Stryker MGS – All of the students from Azkaban are exempt from the rules.


	16. OWL CARNAGE or Hedwig's Return

Disclaimer Haiku:

I do not own this

I would like not to be sued

It is owned by others

* * *

OWL CARNAGE

or

The Return of Hedwig

* * *

"Arrive where?" McGonagall asked a bit curious as to their eventual location.

"The school Professor" Becky responded politely after seeing that her Lord did not wish to answer "I have instructed the commandant to have the files of the volunteers ready for your perusal."

"Thank you child" McGonagall smiled fondly at the young woman "but why are you so involved in this, are you one of the prefects?"

"No professor" Becky responded "I am my Lord Azkaban's personal servant and assistant and as such it is my duty to aid him in this task."

"I see" McGonagall replied, somewhat at a loss for words "then would you mind me asking about the guards."

"No Professor" Becky responded quietly.

"I was wondering at how polite the guards were" McGonagall began "according to what I learned from Albus, I would have expected a somewhat ... rougher treatment then I received."

"It is because the guard force has a particular dislike for Dumbledore" Becky began "and they wished to make his visit as difficult as possible."

"They are all good men" Harry chipped in with a grin "though they can be a bit overzealous at times."

"How so" the professor asked.

"I found out that they were going to welcome him to the Island with a full cavity search at the last minute" Harry replied trying not to laugh "and I was barley able to stop it at the last minute."

"But why" the old witch asked shocked at what she was hearing "Albus is one of the most respected men in the wizarding world, why do your guards hold such contempt for him?"

"It is because of what he did" Becky answered growing angry "his dog attacked Harry on the orders of 'the most respected man in the wizarding world."

"His dog?" McGonagall asked faintly.

"Snape" Hermione explained in a bitter tone "Snape hit Harry with a dark curse and attempted to kidnap him on Dumbledore's orders."

"What orders" the transfiguration professor asked, shocked at the lack of respect in Hermione's voice when she mentioned the Headmaster.

"He ordered that Harry be returned to the Order of the Phoenix by force" Hermione replied with anger "and Snape took it upon himself to make it as painful as possible."

"Have you told Albus what he did" McGonagall asked, defending her college "perhaps if he knew the extent of Snape's actions then he..."

"He knew" Hermione shocked the room by interrupting her favorite professor "he knew and all he did was say 'I'm sure Severus had his reasons' and 'I'm sure that Harry wasn't put in any real danger by Severus's spell,' he actually had the gall to defend Snape's actions."

"Calm down Hermione" McGonagall surprised her student with her use of a first name "I will be sure to have words with Albus about this."

"Yes Professor" Hermione deflated "thank you."

"Don't thank me yet Hermione" she favored her student with a smile, then features hardening she continued "wait until I deal with Albus and get to the bottom of this, be sure that I will get to the bottom of this."

"Would you like to visit the school now professor?" Harry asked, relieved to no longer be in a room of angry females.

"Yes Harry, I believe that would be the proper course of action" McGonagall said with a nod "how do you intend for us to get there?"

"I was planning on calling my coach" Harry replied "unless you would prefer to walk?"

"A coach ride would be fine" McGonagall replied "lead the way Mr. Potter."

McGonagall noted with amusement the way the two girls automatically took flanking positions to Harry as he left the room, smiling at the folly of youth she made a note to set up a staff betting pool if they continued the behavior at Hogwarts before silently following behind them.

Walking into the courtyard, Harry raised his hand and snapped his fingers to summon his carriage "it will just be a few moments professor."

Before she had a chance to answer, Minerva was shocked into silence by the arrival of the Lord's coach and its teams of Nightmares.

Stepping up to the coach, Harry opened one of the doors "after you professor, girls."

"Thank you Mr. Potter" Minerva said as she climbed aboard.

"Thank you Harry" Hermione nodded to him as she followed the professor.

"My Lord it's not proper for you to..."

"Get aboard Becky" Harry interrupted her "I will decide what is and is not proper and if I say that it is proper for you to get aboard then it is."

"Yes my Lord" the girl said hiding her annoyance as climbed aboard.

Stepping out of the coach, they were amazed to see the students lined up in formation wearing the black and grey uniforms of the Azkaban Military Academy.

"PRESENT ARMS" the student at the head of the formation said before standing and snapping a crisp salute with the sword in his hand "5th training battalion your Lordship's guard reporting for inspection SIR."

Hastily, Becky whispered instructions to Harry through her watch to inform him how to deal with the situation.

Straightening, Harry returned the salute and walked to the student that had called the command "what's your name troop?"

"Sir my name is Cadet Colonel Masters Sir" the young man said staring straight ahead.

"Good, would you care to accompany me as I inspect your troops?" Harry fought the urge to smile.

"Sir it would be Cadet Master's pleasure to accompany his Lordship in his inspection Sir."

"Good" Harry nodded "then let us begin."

The inspection would have been familiar to members and veterans of the armed forces from around the world.

Harry walked between the rows, occasionally asking one of the cadets a question about their family or unit.

Finally they had made their rotation and returned to the front of the formation "Good job Cadet Colonel Masters, your men are a credit to the Academy and it was my pleasure to review them."

"Sir thank you Sir" Masters returned snapping off a salute.

"Take charge of your battalion" Harry returned the salute and began walking towards the large stone building that housed the Academy.

He was met at the front door by an old man wearing the guard uniform of the Azkaban military "good day my Lord."

"Good day" Harry nodded politely.

"I am Sergeant Major Christenson the Academy Sergeant Major and I have been instructed by the Commandant to send his regrets that he was unable to meet with you upon your arrival."

"It's not a problem" Harry waved it off "what happened?"

"One of the younger students was injured on the dueling range and the Commandant is in the infirmary checking on his condition" the grizzled old man replied.

"Then if you would be so kind as to take me to the infirmary" Harry smiled "I would also like to check up on the cadet."

"Yes Sir" the old man nodded "if you will follow me"

The old Sergeant Major led them through several dark stone corridors before stopping before a large wooden door "here we are Sir."

"Thank you" Harry nodded to the man when he opened the door.

The infirmary was many times larger then Hospital Wing at Hogwarts and in it was several white jacketed orderlies hurriedly going about their tasks.

Harry noticed a large white haired man in an Azkaban guard uniform sitting in a chair by a bed containing the small form of an injured student.

"How is he" Harry's voice startled the older man who had not noticed his approach.

"The doctors say that he is out of danger and I'm just waiting for him to wake up" the white haired man responded without looking up "I just hope he comes out of it before my daughter finds out what happened to her son."

"I'm sure that he'll be fine" Harry tried to reassure the older man "speaking as someone who has spent a lot of time in the Hospital wing I'd say that once the healers get a hold of you, then you're in more danger of boredom then what ever injury you first came in for."

"Thanks" the older man replied, eyes refusing to leave the still form of his grandson "you better get down to formation before his Lordship arrives."

"I've already arrived" Harry said amused "what happened to him."

"One of the other students miscast a spell and it had some rather odd effects, I'd be excited to try to duplicate it if it hadn't injured one of my cadets" then eyes widening as he processed the rest of the statement, the man's head swiveled to regard Harry "my Lord, I apologies I had not realized that it was you."

"Don't worry about it" Harry waved off the apology "when I heard that one of the cadets had been injured I came up to see how they were doing."

"Yes my Lord" the Commandant stood up "with your permission I will meet with the representative from Hogwarts and start the selection process."

"You may stay here if you wish" Harry said mildly "the health and welfare of the cadets takes precedence to this little project."

"Very kind of you Sir" the Commandant of the Academy nodded "but I would rather get back to work."

"All right" Harry nodded "shall we go to your office so I can tell you what my considerations are for the candidates."

"Yes Sir" the older man nodded.

The door to the Commandants office was guarded in a very different manner then the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts.

On either side of the portal stood an armed cadet at the position of attention that snapped a salute when they noticed the Commandant's approach.

The Commandant casually returned the salute and walked through the door to his outer office.

"Hello Marge" the Commandant greeted his secretary "I'll be in my office with his Lordship determining which of the students to send."

"Yes Sir" the woman nodded before going back to her work.

Following the Commandant into his office, Harry took a seat in one of the chairs and motioned for Becky to take another.

Frowning a bit at being removed from her usual spot behind her Lord, Becky moved her chair so that it was within millimeters of the one that Harry was sitting in.

Harry chose to remain silent at her actions and faced the Commandant "there are two main requirements that I have for students that are going to attend Hogwarts in this exchange."

"Yes Sir?" the Commandant leaned forward.

"I want them to be capable of defending themselves and if they are taking Potions then I want them to be of exceptional ability."

"Yes Sir, may I ask why?"

Harry nodded "Hogwarts is not the safest place in the Wizarding world and I would like to know that they will be as safe as possible."

"Mr. Potter really" McGonagall cut in, shocked at the implication "Hogwarts is one of the safest places in the world."

Harry turned to look at the older witch "Troll and Voldemort in first year alone."

"Yes well" the woman replied a bit uncomfortably "I will admit that in recent years there has been a bit of difficulty."

"If you say so Professor" Harry smirked, and then turned back to the Commandant "I want them to be good at Potions because the Potion Master at Hogwarts is a bit of a failure as a teacher and I would like them to be able to return to their studies here without too much trouble."

"Thank you Sir" the older man nodded "I believe that I know what it is that you are looking for, but may I make a suggestion?"

"Go ahead" Harry nodded.

"I would suggest that you send fourteen students rather then the seven that you had originally planned."

"Why"

"It would give them a better support structure and it would also mean that each student would be accompanied by another" the Commandant explained "that way they could watch their partner's backs."

"Do it" Harry answered "now if you will excuse me, I'll take my leave and let you and the professor hash things out between you."

"Yes Sir"

"Professor" Harry regarded the older woman "will you be all right here on your own?"

"Yes Harry thank you" the Transfiguration Professor answered with a nod.

"I'll have the carriage wait to pick you up" was Harry's parting comment as he left flanked by the two girls.

Returning to the Castle, the three enjoyed a quiet meal of all sorts of odd British food like Eel Pie and Welsh Rarbit.

Stepping away from the table, Hermione walked into Harry's room to await her two friends "oh hi Hedwig" she greeted the snowy owl perched on one of the chairs "how have you been doing?"

The owl's only answer was to swivel her head to regard Hermione with a glare that would have shamed McGonagall's best.

Paling, Hermione slowly backed out the still open door and returned to the table.

"Harry" Hermione began as she walked back to the table "it looks like Professor McGonagall brought your things and Hedwig is waiting for you in your room."

"That's great" Harry said enthusiastically as he got up and began walking to his room.

"Wait, I think that..." Hermione's words trailed off as Harry entered his room.

Walking into his room, Harry favored his owl with a smile "hey girl, I've missed you."

What followed was a scene so horrible that to maintain our rating we have been forced to show things from the point of view of the listening girls.

Becky looked at Hermione oddly when the first crash came from Harry's room "what is happening?"

'_Arg not in the face not in the face'_

"Oh, Harry is just getting reacquainted with his owl" Hermione answered "so when do you think our new wands will be ready?"

'_Why oh why has god forsaken me?'_

'_HOOOOOOT"_

"I believe that they should be ready in the next week" Becky replied then after a few moments of looking at the closed door "should we help him?"

_Sickening Crunch _

'_I promise that I'll never leave you behind like that again' _

'_HOOT' _

'_What can I do to make the pain stop?' _

'_Hoot, hoot, hoot hoooot hoot hoooot'_

"No" Hermione said shaking her head "he's not in any danger and this really is something that they need to get out of their systems."

'_OK, I'll buy you controlling interest in the company that makes OWL treats but I'm not getting you a personal servant.'_

'_HOOT HOOOOOT HOOT HOOOOT'_

"If you say so Hermione" Becky said unsure "why is his owl so angry?"

'_How about if I confer on you the post of official post owl for the Lord of Azkaban, will that make you happy?'_

'_Hoot'_

'_Thank god'_

"She is annoyed at Harry for leaving her behind to worry about him" Hermione answered "sounds like they've reached an accommodation"

"That it does" agreed Becky "tell me more about your adventures at Hogwarts."

* * *

AN: You may have noticed that the military rarely calls Harry by his title, choosing instead to call him 'Sir' this is because they are referring to his position as the Commander and Chief of the Azkaban Military. Lots of speculation about the wands, I will give one hint that I don't plan on revealing in the story: Becky has a Right wing feather because she is Harry's Right hand girl. The British food think was a Simpson's reference.

Thank you for the reviews, a few responses are below.

Maxennce – Heh, who said I let him get away with it.

athenakitty – The significance is just a bit of foreshadowing for something I am going to attempt to present in this story. Yes, Harry has total control over all of his properties save the one he owns with his cousin. Which question? Squeakers was a response to a review and it is likely that he will not have any major effect on the story. Hagrid will know that Harry knows the lord and can bring in all sorts of hideous and deadly creatures which Hagrid will think are 'cute.' Mr. Weasley regularly makes the trip and the others may be joining him at some point. Snape may or may not learn some manners, no plans as yet. I will try to fit a similar scene in.

uten – Yup, in time a flood of 'dark' creatures will descend on the Island.

Aishwarya – Skill at chess do not a commander make, if you want.

Felis Non Domesticus – That and ravens are what I'm leaning towards.

Treck – I am leaning toward making them the Lord's messengers, something like that may happen with Snape and if not I may have to put it in another fic.

lmill123 – Yep, still have yet to figure out how I'm going to play this.

Shawn Pickett – Thanks, you just gave me a good scene if I can find a place to put it.

userid82 – Your address got cut off, may put up a group if there is enough interest.

Rift120 – LOL

jestyking – Thanks, haven't seen this one.

Amber Moon – He still has his old wand, still trying to get a better feel for Tonks before I make her a more major character.

Philip Jacobs – Like the idea for the tome, may have to steal it. Olivander has so many pre-crafted wands for the same reason that stores have so many 'off the rack' clothing. Tailored clothing is expensive and Custom wands are also expensive. You are correct in believing that the top Aurors and Unspeakables would get an extra custom wand, after all they are in a job where the tiniest think can mean life or death. Becky is very unusual; the normal Azkaban children will be quite different. Like the Idea about Harry appearing as the Lord of Azkaban to introduce the students. Note that I called them Twin rings. I may have to include the Arawans, been looking for the Lord's hounds and I think that these fit the bill.

Lunatic Pandora1 – Heh

"Wormtail" Voldemort hissed at his one handed servant "where is my copy of the new Grand Theft Auto game?"

"I'm sorry master" replied the sniveling rat "but the stores were all out when I..."

"CRUCIO"

Cornflake – Have not read it, who is the Author?


	17. Minerva Speaks

NOTE: This is an updated version of chapter 17 and it contains a lot of new material.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, other people do and they are not me.

* * *

Minerva Speaks

* * *

"Albus how could you" Dumbledore looked up from his desk to behold the fearsome visage of his Transfiguration Professor.

"How could I what?" old man responded with a smile.

"How could you allow Snape to attack Harry like that?" Minerva was rapidly losing control of her anger.

"I'm sure that Severus only did what he thought was he believed to be best" replied Dumbledore eyes twinkling "so you may put any fears at ease."

"What he thought was best" McGonagall repeated incredulously "how could the use of a dark curse ever be best used on a child?"

"Minerva please" Dumbledore attempted to calm the woman.

"That is it" McGonagall was at the end of her rope "from this moment on I refuse to be a part in this scheme of yours, inform Snape that I will no longer ignore my student's complaints about his bigotry and that every complaint that I receive will be investigated and sent to the Governors."

"You can't do that Minerva" Dumbledore was shocked "he's too valuable to the Order..."

"Save it" she interrupted "I am in no mood for your platitudes and I refuse to stand by and allow him to sabotage the future of my children any longer."

"I'm sure it's not as serious as all that" Dumbledore attempted to calm the woman "think about it rationally."

"Rationally, do you know how many careers require a NEWT in Potions? Do you know how many students are never able to realize their dreams because of his refusal to show any hint of professionalism?" Asked the woman enraged "I have had it, either he shapes up or I will go over your head on this one."

"I'll talk to him about this, but you have to realize that any change in behavior could endanger his life."

"And you must understand that the lives of my children are many times more important" McGonagall bit back "he will shape up or he will be fired."

The Headmaster exhaled as he watched his Deputy walk out of the room, didn't she understand that it was for the greater good, didn't she understand that a man's life was at stake.

Shaking his head sadly Dumbledore went back to his work and tried to figure out how he would resolve this latest problem.

Back at the Surrey Police station, Chief Inspector Wallace repaired himself to once again question his least favorite suspect.

"Hello Dudley" he said as the door admitted his perp. "how are you today?"

"Not so good Inspector" Dudley replied, tears running down his bruised face "one of the other prisoners took my Jello at breakfast this morning."

"Is that when your face got bruised?" the Inspector inquired after looking at the boy's face.

"Yes Sir" the fat boy replied, his time behind bars teaching him some of the manners that his parents hadn't.

"Well, I'll talk to the guards and see about having you placed into protective custody if you like" Wallace offered, his professionalism offended at the boy's treatment.

"Thank you Sir" the boy almost whispered "do you want me to tell you more about my cousin today?"

"I just want to know where he is Dudley" Wallace replied in a sympathetic tone "then we can talk about other things if you like."

"I'm sorry Sir" the boy said in a subdued tone "but I really don't know what happened to my cousin, I just woke up one morning and he was gone."

"I see" Wallace said sadly, finally beginning to believe the boy's story "did he take any of his things with him?"

"No Sir" the fat boy shook his head "but some of his friends came for them later."

"Do you think that he is with these friends?"

"No Sir" Dudley answered "they were looking for him too."

"Can you tell me how to find these friends of you cousins?" Wallace continued in a calm sympathetic voice "or at least tell me their names."

"I don't know Sir" Dudley replied quietly "All I know that he has a girl friend named Gronger or something and that her parents are Doctors."

"Thank you Dudley, you have been very helpful" the Inspector finished the interview "I'll have you moved to your own cell so that you are not harmed again."

"Thank you Sir" the large boy said quietly with his head down "thank you."

"Not a problem Dudley" Wallace replied to the boy's back as he was led out of the room.

Gathering up his notes, the Inspector soon followed the boy's path out of the room, handing his notes to one of the waiting officers "I want you to find the family of the girlfriend, maybe she will be able to tell us if he is still alive."

"Yes Sir" the officer nodded, before getting about their task.

Five minutes later, the officer returned "Found two dentists named Granger that have a daughter a few months younger then our missing boy."

"Good work" Wallace nodded "I'll go check this out."

"Thank you Sir" the officer replied to the retreating back of his superior.

The drive to the Granger's office was a short one and finding a place to park was surprisingly easy, he never noticed the armed men watching his every move.

Walking towards the office, Wallace was met by a man in a dark suit and sun glasses "good after noon, would you mind telling me what business you have with the Grangers?"

"Chief Inspector Wallace" he flashed his badge "who are you and what business is it of yours."

"Chief Inspector White" the man raised a badge of his own "Specialist Operations team 13."

"I would like to talk to the Grangers about a possible missing person" Wallace replied seriously "I am hoping that their daughter might have some information."

"I see" White responded evenly "if you would be willing to sit down for a minute then I would be happy to see if I might be able to answer a few of your questions."

"Fair enough" Wallace nodded "where do you want to do this?"

"I'm sure the Grangers would be willing to spare one of their free rooms" the man responded then whispered something into his sleeve "follow me."

Wallace followed his college to an empty exam room and took a seat in one of the empty chairs, checking his notes he began "would the name 'Harry Potter' be familiar to you."

"Yes it is" replied the man "may I ask why you are looking for him?"

"During the course of investigating criminal cases that we are pursuing against his relatives and we learned that he was missing" Wallace said seriously "and we are hoping to determine wither or not he is still alive."

"I see" White nodded as he sunk back into his chair "he is alive and well, may I ask why you were worried about him being dead?"

"The interviews with his cousin have shown that Harry has led a particularly difficult life and we were worried that his uncle took the step up from abuse to murder" Wallace took a breath "I'm glad to know that the boy is OK, please tell him that Chief Inspector Wallace wishes him well and convey how sorry we are that we were unable to stop things before."

"I'll pass it along" White nodded "would it be possible to get copies of your case files?"

"Shouldn't be a problem" Wallace shook his head "why do you want them?"

"Same reason that I'm here" White said with a grin "I'm assigned to the boy's protective detail and as part of that I'm keeping an eye on the girl's family."

"And you want to know what happened to your charge" Wallace nodded "I'll have them sent over, would you mind asking the boy if he is willing to testify?"

"I'll ask but I don't know if he would be willing."

"Thank you" Wallace nodded "if you don't mind my asking how does the boy rate such a large protective detail?"

"Has to do with who he is" White responded after a moment of taught, then extended a business card "as a tit for tat, your daughter is going to be receiving a very unusual letter soon, when she does contact me and I will see what I can do about smoothing the transition."

"What transition" Wallace asked suspiciously "and what's going to happen to my child?"

"Nothing bad" White answered quickly "it has to do with a school for the gifted and it would be easier to explain after you get the letter."

"Thank you Chief Inspector White" Wallace extended his hand.

"Any time Chief Inspector Wallace" White extended his own.

Quickly returning to his station to finish his report, Wallace spent several minutes trying to determine where to take the case next.

On the one hand, he was sure that he had enough evidence to take the Dursleys to trial where he could blacken their name to the point that they would never recover.

On the other hand, without Harry's testimony there was little chance of a conviction as he didn't believe for a moment that Dudley would be willing to take the stand against his own parents.

Saving his report, he decided that he had done all that he could for the day and decided to return home to his little girl.

Leaving the station, he began the short walk back to his home to see the smiling face of his little girl.

Approaching his front door he reached out his hand to manipulate the knob when he was attacked by a ball of energy wearing a pink shirt.

"Daddy your home" the little girl smiled up at him "guess what I got today?"

"An elephant?" he asked seriously "because if you got an elephant then I'm not sure where you can keep it."

Giggling the girl just shook her head "guess again."

"If it's not an elephant ... you got yourself a new car didn't you?" he asked in mock sternness "well I'm afraid that you are going to have to take it back because you don't have a license."

"No" the girl shook her head giggling "I got a letter."

"What sort of letter?" he asked curiously as he lifted her into the air "do you have a new pen friend or something?"

"No daddy" she shook her head "it's from a place called Hogwarts."

"Really?"

"Yup and it's addressed to me and everything see" she brandished the envelope like a weapon "Rosalie Wallace the second bedroom on number 12 Admiral lane, Surrey."

"I see" he said trying to keep the worry out of his voice at how they had known where his child slept "what does it say?"

"It's from a school that teaches magic" Rose explained with excitement "can I go?"

"Let's see what we can find about it first Princess" Wallace replied mussing his daughter's hair "maybe it isn't a very good school and I want only the best for my Princess."

"Ok daddy" she looked at him through eyes full of trust "but I really want to learn magic."

"I just have to make a call and I will find out what is going on" Wallace began to dial the number on the business card he had received earlier that day "I will find out exactly what is going on."

"White" the phone was answered on the first ring.

"My daughter has just received a letter and..."

"I'll be right over" White interrupted.

"Hello ... hello" looking annoyed at the phone he turned to his daughter.

"Do they have unicorns?" she asked innocently "because I really like unicorns."

"I'm sorry princess but I didn't have a chance to ask" he paused to figure out how to break the news that there was no magic school "princess I..."

A knock at the door interrupted the bad news that he was trying to break to his daughter and relieved at the delay he walked to answer it.

"Good evening Chief Inspector Wallace" White said from the door "you called about a letter?"

"I was just wondering what kind of person would get a girl's hopes up like this" Wallace said with a frown "and I was hoping that you could tell me who did decided to play this joke."

"No joke I assure you" White said transfigurating the coat rack into a small tree "would you like me to explain?"

"My god" Wallace looked wide eyed at the tree growing in his floor "how did you do that?"

"Magic is the short answer" White restored the coat rack with another flick of his wand.

"And my Rose can do that?" Wallace asked his voice colored with shock and pride.

"No, not yet" White shook his head "she has the ability but not the skill."

"Tell me more" was Wallace's demanded response.

At the same time, back at the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix another meeting was taking place.

"Sit down Severus" Dumbledore said sadly "I have some very disturbing news to share with you."

"What is it" the man asked calmly, immune to the panic that would infect lesser men "surely it can't be too important?"

"Minerva has decided to investigate all student complaints against your teaching methods."

"So what" the man sneered "let her, I'm sure that she will drop it after a minimum of complaint after you order her to."

"I don't believe she will listen this time Severus" Dumbledore shook his head, trying to find the right words "she has told me that she is tired of allowing your teaching methods to ruin her student's education, she said that you have ruined too many dreams."

"Then just accept her findings and then ignore them" Snape replied flippantly "and if she complains then explain to her that you are the Headmaster and she is your subordinate."

"I'm afraid that won't work" Dumbledore sighed "this time she has said that she is going to forward all findings and complaints directly to the board of governors '

"Surely she can't be serious" Snape was beginning to lose control over his emotions "can't you stop her Albus?"

"I'm afraid that she refuses to listen to me" Dumbledore placed a fatherly hand on the younger man's shoulder "I am sorry but I don't know what I can do."

"How could she do this to me?" Severus asked with no small amount of fear "doesn't she realize that my life is at stake?"

"I do not know Severus" Dumbledore answered quietly "I am afraid that she has lost sight of the greater good and I do not know how to help her find it again."

"What has happened to make her think that the worthless dream of a few no talent students is worth my life?" Snape was beginning to calm down "what do you propose to do about it?"

"Perhaps if you were to tell Voldemort that I ordered you to change your methods?" Dumbledore mused.

"Wouldn't work" Snape answered quickly "why would he believe that you changed your mind after all these years?"

"I do not know Severus" Dumbledore was beginning to fear that he could do nothing "perhaps if...I am sorry Severus, I shall try to think of something before the year starts."

"So will I" was Snape's short answer "my life depends on it."

"I will talk to Minerva again" Albus assured his spy "maybe I can get her to see some sense."

* * *

AN: I am back at my computer and back to my spell check and word program, so I will try to put up a few more chapters. It has also been suggested that their may be some interest in opeining this sub universe up to other Authors. The Specalist Operations team was something I got from looking at the website of the Metrapolatan Police page, and while to the best of my knowledge their is no Specalist Operations team 13 in this story they are a cover used by the Department of Mysteries when they have to interact with the Muggle world. Started a Yahoo group feel free to join.

athenakitty - I have not created the students beyond a few vague ideas at this time. The thing that was damaged the most was his pride. The Azkaban students will not be getting an extra wand until they become Aurors, Unspeakables, or members of the Guard force (assuming that they don't pick a civilian career). I have an idea on what to do with the Dursleys. Thinking about starting a Yahoo group if there is interest for it.

Amber Moon - At this point in time, Harry could care less about the tracking charm though he may decide to remove it. That is very close to my plan involving the ring. Thanks.

bellashade - The students will get a bit of air time at Hogwarts.

dave-gerecke - Yep, horses are great at crowd control and let's just say that if I put in a scene like that Harry will 'Cry Havoc' and the poor mobs of deathmunchers will not be happy.

W'rkncacnter- Thanks and you are correct about right and left wing, wish I had thought of it.

Aishwarya- Good point, I wanted to include Ron as a more major character but events that will take place later in the story would cause problems between him and Harry that would just escalate the problems so to avoided bashing the character I sent him to Russia. If you want to review them go ahead, I'm not too worried about it though.

schkuro - The students from Azkaban will be quite good at DADA and will be big fans of the idea that the best defense is to kill all of your opponents before they realize that you are annoyed at them. Trying to find the best place to put a scene about Becky's parents.

Philip Jacobs - Harry did not make Hedwig the official messenger he made her the official Owl, she is also the only Owl.

legionsking - Thanks for the offer but not at this time.

Paladin3030 - Black and grey uniforms that are similar to the Azkaban Guard uniforms. Working Saber and they know how to use them.

GoldHeartSilverTears- I do like Snape, he can be shown in a lot of different ways but his ego tends to force him to do stupid things.

lmill123 - They spend more time around Muggles then 'normal' wizards.

uten - No spell check on this computer so it is a bit worse then normal (running it though an email program) C.I. White doesn't even have that name. Thanks for the rules and they will soon be in place. Look forward to your story.

athenakitty - No firm Plans for Snape. McGonagall will follow through if she must. Escaped DE's will be found and returned to the cells.

BenRG - He is spending a lot of time learning 'Grey' magic, but at this time he is not at a high level. Harry does not that Becky had Ron sent away, if he finds out his reaction will be similar to what you predicted.

Zaxxon - That is one of the major differences between the wizarding world and the people of Azkaban, willingness to change.

Samurai Demon-God Sekikage - Ian Senkel sounds like a winner.

pheonixrising - Has a grade school also.

Mr. Virail - Sure, I would be happy to have it on another site.

Lord InuYasha – Back to my computer and back to my spell checker.

dave-gerecke – A large percentage of the population of the Island is made up of people like Moody or the decedents of people like Moody. Prison, Police (which is part of the military), Harry's personal guard, a small but very effective military, and many others become Aurors or Unspeakables for the Ministry.

Pris – Where was that mistake? Would like a chance to go back and fix it.

Lady of Masbolle – Right on, I have a bit of Welsh heritage, and I would love to see more Celtic stuff in Harry Potter.

Tarkas1956 – I'm a bit to American to write much Brit slang with confidence, while I have spent quite a bit of time abroad and around the occasional Brit they do not tend to use much slang. Will work on it though.

Wytil – Becky is a little younger then Ginny. Use it if you like. That is why the army sends Generals to war college even then it doesn't apply in this case because the 'war' is a series of small unit actions, what we need is good small unit tactics not grand strategy. No offence taken.


	18. Preparations for Celebrations

NOTE: Chapter 17 has been updated and if you have not read the new version then you may wish to.

Disclaimer: I do not own the concept on which this is based.

* * *

Preparations for Celebrations

* * *

"Your daughter was born with the ability to manipulate energy" White explained slowly "in short, magic."

"How is it that I've never heard of this before" Wallace asked incredulously, his years on the force allowing him to remain calm "I would think that I would have seen evidence of this before."

"You may have" White allowed "but their exist spells that can modify or erase a memory which are used to maintain the secrecy."

"And that's legal?" the muggle police officer asked incredulously "how can you allow people to get away with this."

"I am afraid that I have no choice" White shook his head sadly "I do not make the laws and I have no say in them."

"I see" the man clutched his daughter "so what will happen now, will my memory be erased so that I can't remember that my child can do magic?"

"No" White said quickly "as she is your child you are permitted to know about the magical world."

"All right" he relaxed a bit before focusing on threats to his daughter "what dangers will she face in the magical world?"

"She will be one of the safest children in England" White assured "but one of the main dangers in the world is a terrorist organization known as the 'death eaters.'"

"Tell me more"

"They believe that unless you have no non magical people in your family you have no right to live" White dictated in his professional voice "they stage attacks using hit and run tactics to spread fear and they have recently had their ranks swell with the return of their leader and a mass prison break."

"What is being done to combat this man?" Wallace allowed his professionalism to override his fatherly concern "and what sort of risk does he pose?"

"Until recently, relatively little was being done about him" White held up a hand to stall questions "the Minister was an incompetent who refused to admit that the leader had returned."

"Brass" Wallace responded in a dull sarcastic tone "what ever would we do without them?"

"Exactly" White shared a chuckle with his non magical college "recently the Lord of Azkaban has arrested the Minister for corruption and deployed his forces to combat the menace."

"Still allow the nobs their privilege then?"

"No" White said slowly trying to think of the correct response "the Lord Azkaban is a special case, and he has managed to hold on to his power."

"I see" the muggle cop nodded "what sort of good is he doing?"

"He is able to do quite a bit" White said with a savage smile "he commands the most dangerous troops in Europe and a good portion of magical law enforcement are made up of his subjects."

"Then why hasn't he stepped in before?"

"It was illegal before, wasn't till he was able to have the Minister sign in a new law to allow his men the same status as a copper that he was able to do anything."

"And then he had his men arrest the corrupt Minister who allowed them in" Wallace laughed "I think I'm going to like this guy, you said that my daughter was safe."

"Safer then most" agreed White "you are one of us and we will keep an eye on your daughter."

"One of us"

"A cop" White answered quietly "to top that off, the people of Azkaban owe you a debt and they always pay."

"How do I owe them a debt?" the inspector asked incredulously "I've never even met one of them."

"It has to do with one of your past cases" White grinned "and if Azkaban owes you a debt me and my department owe you a debt."

"Thank you" Wallace nodded "if my baby is to leave home then I am glad to know that she's save."

"Not a problem, I am happy to help and if you ever need..."

"Will there be Unicorns?" the young girl looked up at her father's friend "because I really want to see a Unicorn."

"Of course there are Unicorns" White beamed down at the girl "and many more wonderful things."

"What else?" the girl demanded imperiously "what else is there for me to see?"

"You'll just have to wait" White said laughing "it will be better that way."

"Thank you Chief Inspector White" the muggle policeman held out his hand to his magical college."

"Feel free to call again Chief Inspector Wallace" White replied taking the man's hand "now if you will excuse me, I must be going."

Back at Caer Azkaban, a very secrete and very important meeting was taking place to decide the future course of the island.

"I'm not sure that Harry would be comfortable having his birthday declared a national Holliday" Hermione declared to her coconspirator "I think that he would be overwhelmed with just a party and I don't know how he will take dancing in the streets."

"It is tradition" Becky stubbornly maintained "besides, the people will be quite disappointed if they are not given an opportunity to celebrate his Lordship's birth."

"Let's set that aside for now then" Hermione hoped that she would find a way to convince the girl to have just a small party "we still have to finalize the list of attendees."

"I would propose that we have two parties" Becky said after a moment of thought "a party for the people of Azkaban and a party for Harry."

"That makes sense" Hermione nodded "this way Harry can just have a small party with his friends without offending anybody."

Becky smirked as she wrote out the order to make the day a national holiday; idly wondering what her friend's reaction would be when she realized what she had agreed to.

Within hours the two girls had written up invitations and planned the party down to the smallest detail, woe is to any stupid enough to interrupt their schedule.

In the adjoining room; Harry looked up from his reading as he felt a prophetic chill go up his spine, shaking it off as nothing more then his imagination he turned back to his book.

In the Moscow Magical School of Really Good Chess Players; Ron was having the time of his life, finally he was the big man on campus and none of his brothers were there to steal his spot light.

Strutting down the hallways he basked in the girl's admiration and the men's envy, walking to his place at the head of the table he spooned an enormous pile of food onto his plate and began to eat.

His meal was interrupted when a large bird bearing some resemblance to a vulture swooped into the hall and landed before him.

Taking the note from the sinister looking bird's leg Ron waited a moment for it to leave and when it did not he figured that it was waiting for a response.

Cracking the strange wax seal he opened the letter and began to read.

_Ronald Weasley,_

_You have been invited to the birthday party of Harry James Potter to take place in one week's time on the Isle of Azkaban. _

_If you are for some reason unable to attend, we wish to request that you send your regrets with the Augurey that delivered your invitation. _

_Signed _

_Rebecca and Hermione_

Ron frowned as he read the letter; how could he have forgotten his best friend's birthday, dropping his shoulders he wrote out a quick reply.

_Hey Mate, _

_Sorry but I won't be able to come to the party because I'll be in Moscow._

_I'm sorry but I forgot to tell you that I switched schools, I meant to but when I came here I was just intending to look around and I just never left._

_I hope you can understand that I was not trying to hide this from you but I just kind of lost track of anything but chess._

_I will understand if you are a bit cross with me but I hope that you can understand. _

_Your Friend,_

_Ron_

Looking down at his letter Ron hoped that Harry would understand that he wasn't abandoning the fight and that he just had to take this opportunity.

Tying the note to the strange bird's leg; Ron did something would have surprised Hermione, he considered the consequences of his actions and for the first time in his friendship with Harry he was afraid that Harry would not forgive him.

All across Europe people connected in some way with the 'boy who lived' were surprised by the appearance of strange ugly birds bearing invitations to a birthday party for Harry Potter.

In France, Gabrielle received a note that was a twin of the one her sister had received only moments earlier.

Blushing prettily at the thought that her savior had not forgotten her she rushed off to bet her parents permission.

In an isolated section of the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary, Charlie raised his arm to give the messenger its perch as he read the letter inviting him to the party of the boy he hardly knew.

In the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; several Aurors revised their opinions of a clumsy young college when they noticed that the woman with the strange multi colored hair had received a letter borne by one of their Lord's own Augureys, reasoning that their must be more to any who had gained the Lord's favor then first appeared.

The young woman in question nodded happily to the bird and jotted out a quick note giving her acceptance.

It was a scene that was repeated numerous times around the country, though nowhere was it more chaotic then in the town of Ottery St. Catchpole here much of the Weasley clan was gathered.

The flock had perched around the dining room and watched the family with an unblinking stare; the silence was broken by the appearance of the youngest Weasley who, upon taking in the situation sprang into action.

The assembled family watched in shock as Ginny fearlessly confronted one of the strange messengers, and their shock only deepened when they heard her speak.

"How cute" she squealed as she gathered one of the uglier birds into a hug "who's a pretty birdie, you're a pretty birdie."

"Ginny, do you think you should be touching it like that" Molly asked concerned for her daughter's welfare "after all, you don't know where it's been."

"There could never be anything wrong with this cutie" the youngest Weasley responded, heedless of the potential danger "what do you have on your leg, did you bring a letter to me, what a smart birdie you are."

Removing the letter from the bird's leg, Ginny read it and turned to her family "it's from Hermione; she's inviting us to Harry's birthday party."

Ginny's pronouncement at the origin of the disreputable looking birds broke the ice and within minutes the Weasley family had written out their responses to the invitations.

Giving them to the birds, they watched in relief as one by one they left the Weasley home.

"Ginny" Molly asked her daughter slowly "don't you think it's time for the bird to be on its way?"

"I'm sure Harry won't mind if he stays here a bit longer" Ginny said as the fed the ugly bird a morsel from her plate "he's just so cute that I want to spend as much time with him as possible."

"All right then" Molly said weakly to her youngest "as long as he gets home soon."

"Ok mum" Ginny agreed "do you think Harry would mind telling me where he found him?"

"I don't know dear" Molly said trying to keep her composure "maybe you should ask him when we go to the party."

"I will mom" Ginny nodded enthusiastically as the continued to lavish attention on the bird "you're such a cutie, yes you are, yes you are."

* * *

AN: Sorry this part took so long, I just got a new temp job so I may slow down a bit but I will try not to. Also, in case you haven't heard I have put up a Yahoo Group for Caer Azkaban and you are welcome join, currently I am having a small problem with posting but I hope to have it fixed soon. As for Ron remaining good when he enters a school full of Chess Prodigies, he managed to defeat McGonagall's Chess set in first year and I would think that would imply some level of ability. Ron is feeling a bit of guilt because he feels that he abandoned the fight and left Harry all alone, the fact that Harry would not feel the same has nothing to do with it and it is just one of those things. Ginny liked the Augurey and thought it was cute because of the fact that in my experience, when something gets incredibly ugly some girls will think that it is cute and I thought a scene where a young girl starts fussing over a large ugly vulture looking bird was something that I had to include in this chapter.

rahl – Sure thing, follow your muse and do what you must. Just send me a link so that I can look over it.

Shinigami – II yo, daijyoubu da yo.

WJENKSREADER – I have every intention of finishing this story.


	19. Oh I Love a Parade

Disclaimer: I own Nothing, I own Nothing, it is all owned by others.

* * *

Oh I Love a Parade

* * *

Harry awoke early that morning and smiled for he had turned sixteen years old, the most he expected was to have a bit of cake with Hermione and Becky, perhaps receive a present or two from his friends outside the Island, what he didn't expect was how the day would turn out.

"Good morning and happy birthday Harry" Becky greeted him from her customary place by his bed "how are you today?"

"Just fine Becky" Harry smiled up at her "and how are you."

"I am very well Harry" Becky smiled "are you ready for the festivities?"

"I suppose so Becky" Harry nodded as he began to get up "just let me get dressed and I will join you and Hermione for breakfast."

"As you wish" Becky nodded "I have taken the liberty of laying out your clothing.

"Thanks Becky" Harry said to her back as she left the room.

The clothing she selected proved to be one of his customary black and grey outfits that closely resembled the uniforms that he had noticed the guards wearing, pulling the jacket on he left the room to begin another wonderful day.

Stepping into the hallway, he caught the tail end of a conversation between his two girls.

"I don't remember agreeing to that" Hermione said in shock as she looked at the younger girl "I know I would remember it."

"You agreed to two parties" Becky replied happily "a public and a private."

"Yes but I didn't think the public would include a parade" Hermione said weakly, then adding curiously "and how were you able to find a traveling carnival on such short notice?"

"Really" Becky responded with innocent surprise "I would have expected you of all people to research the facts before making a decision."

"I…but…" Hermione sputtered.

"What parade?" Harry's innocent question silenced both girls "and what are you talking about."

"I believe that Hermione would be the best one to tell you Harry" Becky blinked innocently at him "after all it was all her idea."

"Hermione?" Harry turned to her.

"But Becky was the one to organize everything and I'm sure that she would have thought of it without my help?" Hermione responded quickly.

"Why don't we talk about it after breakfast" a confused Harry suggested "then we can decide who tells me what."

"Ok Harry" the girls replied in eerie stereo.

The meal was a mostly quiet affair; Harry sitting in his customary spot and the girls sending notes to each other, pausing to ask him the occasional odd question.

"Do you know how to ride a horse Harry?" Becky asked him quietly.

"No" Harry shook his head "growing up with the Dursleys, I never had a chance to learn."

"I suppose you can always learn before next year" Becky mumbled to her self as she made several notations in her book.

"Why do I need to learn before next year?" Harry asked curiously.

"Why do you need to learn what before next year?" Hermione chipped in distracting him "what are you going on about now Harry?"

"I…" Harry looked at Becky for some support and gave up when his eyes met her innocent stare "never mind."

In time they finished their meal and Harry was ready for some answers "well what were you trying to tell me earlier?"

"Well" Becky bit her lower lip "we were hoping that you would be willing to go to the parade."

"Oh" Harry blinked in surprise "sure, though I don't know what all the fuss was about."

"Thank you Harry" Becky beamed at him "I know you won't be on a Nightmare but the people will be happy to see you all the same."

"What people" Harry asked suspiciously.

"With your permission Harry, Hermione can answer that as well as I can and I do have arrangements to make."

Hermione's eyes widened at her friend's betrayal as Harry nodded at the request and turned to her.

"Well" Harry's green eyes seemed to bore into her "what is it?"

"Um" Hermione smiled weakly "it isn't just that we want you to go to the parade."

"Then what is it" asked the deeply confused Harry.

"Well we sort of want you to be in the parade" Hermione finished "Becky says that the people really want to see you and since you'll be in your coach then…"

"All right" Harry interrupted Hermione's tirade "but I don't see what you were so worked up about."

"All right" Hermione repeated dumbly "but you hate crowds, I thought you would rather stay in."

"I would" Harry agreed "but those people want to see their Lord not the 'boy who lived' and I do have a responsibility to them beyond some vague notion of hero worship."

"Oh" Hermione nodded "I suppose that makes sense, I'm glad you're being so mature about this Harry."

"We all have to grow up some time Hermione" he sighed "some of us earlier then others."

"I know Harry" she whispered sadly "I know."

"Your carriage is ready Harry" Becky reentered the conversation "if you are done with your meal it may be wise to start the procession."

"You mean they're waiting on us?" Harry was surprised "you should have told me, by all means let us be off."

Harry rose from his position at the table and quickly walked towards the nearest exit where he would meet his coach.

Raising his hand above his head and making the now familiar snap to summon his carriage, Harry turned to the side to look at the two girls that had planed it all.

Hermione and Becky both blushed under the scrutiny and chose to remain silent.

For years after the citizens of Azkaban all agreed that the parade was the most magnificent that the Island had ever seen, of course the fact that it was the first parade in decades had nothing to do with the sentiment.

The procession was led by a large group of the Lord's Fire Hounds of Arwn; dogs that had once been the fearsome symbol of the Wild Hunt now had another use in tracking any escapees from the Prison, insuring that none could escape.

The Bays of the hounds were soon drowned out by the foot falls of the 186th Infantry Regiment of the Azkaban guard, many in the crowd looked on in pride as their old unit passed and many others strained to hear the approach of the next body of men.

Next in line was a procession of Cavalry from Harry's own house hold troop, each rider had polished their leather and steel to a mirror shine and their gleam was a close compliment to the fiery manes of their Nightmare steeds.

Finally there came the coach that they had all waited for with baited breath, as one the crowd straightened to catch a glimpse of their Lord and Commander.

Many an old soldier saluted the coach with tears in their eyes as they finally beheld the man that held their allegiance, the crowds cheers intensified to a deafening level as they finally saw the object of their admiration, through it all sat Harry shocked by the crowd's enthusiasm.

Not once pausing his wave or looking from his subjects Harry asked the question that had weighed on his mind from the first show of loyalty.

"Why me Becky, why do they care so much for me?"

"You are their Lord" Becky responded "without you the Island would revert back to Ministry control and we would once again be forced to suffer the commands of the fools in London who see us as little better then the prisoners we house."

"So I am loved because I am better then Fudge?" Harry asked a bit concerned at what he was hearing.

"No my Lord" Becky love filled gaze fell on the back of his head "you are loved because you are you, you have given us our pride back, you have given us good rule, you have given us everything we could ask for and more."

"Thank you Becky" Harry's voice was full of emotion "I will do my best to equal the faith you all have placed in me."

"You have already exceeded it my Lord" Becky's reply was to soft for any but Hermione to hear "you have already done so much for us … for me."

Meanwhile back in Moscow, Ron was polishing off a letter to his best friend.

_Dear Harry,_

_I am sending this letter by way of my parents and I hope that it arrives in time for your party._

_As I told you before I decided to accept a scholarship to a School in Moscow, I want you to know that I did not do so because I felt a need to escape Voldemort and the fighting that his return will bring._

_I decided to go because I have a talent at something, something that none of my brothers have had before me, I am not a great Prankster, I am not a perfect Prefect, and I have come to realize that I am not a great Quiddich player who can make a living on his skill._

_What I am is a chess player and this school will give me a chance to become good enough so that I can bring the Weasley name to the top of something new._

_I am sorry that I didn't tell you sooner but once I came here I was so overwhelmed by what I found that I forgot everything outside the walls of this school._

_What I have found here are people who can offer me a challenge, people who can beat me as often as I can beat them, it was in some ways a great feeling to find people that I must focus all of my attention to beat and in some ways a terrible feeling to know that there were so many people that could match me._

_I will understand if you do not wish to write back and I can understand if you are cross at the way I have left England without at least telling you first but I hope you will forgive a prat one more time and write me back. _

_Before I close this letter I want you to know that you may always count on me, one word and I will return to face Voldemort by your side, and I will be useful as aside from chess this school also has a good dueling program so I assure you that I will not allow myself to be anything less then the best._

_Your Friend,_

_Ron_

Sighing, Ron affixed the letter to the brightly wrapped box that was to serve as Harry's gift and hoped that he had not thrown away his friendship for the sake of his career.

Sending the wrapped gift off with one of the school's owls, he tried to convince himself that Harry would forgive and forget like he had on all the previous occasions and that they could be best mates again.

Walking back to his desk he set up his chess board to replay one of the games that they had been assigned to write an essay on but soon gave up as he realized that his heart wasn't in it.

* * *

AN: Another short part but I wanted to get this out, not sure how I want the next part. Having a few problems with my Yahoo group, won't let me post and I have attempted to contact Yahoo to deal with the problem they have gotten back to me so with luck it will be fixed soon. Hit a block recently which is why it took so long to get this part out. The Hounds were included thanks to Philip Jacobs, many prisons in the US have dog teams to hunt for prisoners and search cells and from the description given the Fire Hounds sounded perfect for Azkaban Prison, Sirius was able to escape them because he was in dog form at the time and the DeathMunchers were able to escape because of the mass breakout.

Why not borrow a touch from Welsh mythology and have him also have a kennel of the fire hounds used by Arawn as the canine chasers for his Wild Hunt? The Hounds of Arawn were supposed to be swifter than the wind, could track their quarry over any distance, were not hindered by any natural barrier of land or water, and were faithful unto death to their master.

Hope I explained a bit more about the Islanders in this part and why they are so devoted to Harry.

Would have posted this sooner but the login feature on has been down for a while.

HermioneGreen – Becky thinks the sun rises because Harry wants it to, the ruler's birthday as a national holiday is fairly common around the world and it isn't all Becky's idea.

twohp – Would you mind explaining and expanding upon that comment, as it is you have given me nothing useful.

Tarkas1956 – Interesting Idea.

Aishwarya – Not implying anything, it may just be that most guys are reluctant to admit that they think things are cute, don't know.

uten – Becky is limiting her time with Hermione to the times that Harry is studying or doing some other activity where he can be without her for a few minutes, she is also never more then thirty seconds away. I do have a few plans for Harry's studies but they will take place later, so it may be a good idea to put a few scenes in soon … thanks for helping me think that up. Ron will begin to mature a bit to the point that he can return to the story, though that may take a while. The Ministry doesn't really think about their loyalty and they do not realize just how much they would be willing to do for their Lord, at this point they have been recruiting from the Island so long that nobody sees it as unusual. Don't know if I could write in a harem and make it convincing, one or two girls is daunting enough. Heh, I've seen girls find something so ugly it was cute, didn't understand it but I saw it.

Shawn Pickett - One of the women is young and the other is taken, at this point Hermione doesn't see a threat and Becky would be happy to have more friends join the party.

Rift120 – Heh, read below.

Arthur hesitated as he approached the ice box, the unblinking stare of Ginny's new pet giving him pause.

Shaking off his worries, he reached for the foil wrapped package that was to serve as the day's lunch.

As his hands touched the metallic wrap, the large bird gave a piercing shriek and its stare seemed to become more intense.

Hastily dropping the foil package, Arthur went off to inquire of his wife how long the meat loaf had resided in the Weasley Ice Box.

Waiting carefully until the man had walked out of sight, the large bird swooped down and tore open the foil container feasting on the cold remains of what was to have been Arthur's lunch.

Watching it all proudly was the youngest Weasley "did you learn a new trick" she cooed to the ugly bird "you're so smart, who's a smart birdie?"

Making a bone chilling crooning noise, the bird waddled up to its mistress and began rubbing its head on her thigh.

Elsewhere, the Game Keepers were examining two of the newly returned birds … specifically the two that returned colored in odd pastel shades.

"Why are they still like that?" demanded the head Game Keeper "you should have been able to reverse the colors by now."

"They don't want to change back" ventured one of the braver underlings "they've attacked anybody that tries to make them normal again."

"They don't want to change back" repeated the head Game Keeper in a low dangerous tone "well we'll just see about that, pastel just doesn't convey the right image."

OF Course Veela children bet on their parent's permission

"Sir" the frantic pit boss broke into the manager's office "The Wards Have Fallen, We're all DOOMED."

As the last pronouncement was made, a large group of beautiful women descended onto the casino, carefully avoiding the slots they chose instead to patronize the table games … games where a beautiful distraction could prove financially fatal to the pocketbooks of their opponents.

zeynel – When Wallace finds out about Harry, he will assume that it is because Harry is 'the boy who lived' and I am currently trying to figure out how and where to put that.

bellashade – Hagrid would agree with Ginny about how cute they are.

everpresent – She is her father's daughter, on the other hand she is also a young girl.

athenakitty – Yep, White is a Ministry Law Enforcement Officer who's department is doing a favor for the Island. Harry is encouraging their friendship but does not realize how deep it is. Gabrielle and Fleur will show up.


	20. A Party, a Slippery Rat, and More

Disclaimer: I own nothing and suing me would net very little.

* * *

A Party, a Slippery Rat, and More

* * *

After what seemed like no time, the parade had ended and the carriage once again pulled up in front of Harry's home.

"What now Becky" Harry glanced over at his assistant.

"Now we have your private party to attend Harry" Becky blinked at her book, "after that I have a quiet dinner for the three of us."

"Very good" Harry gave a nod of understanding, "thank you Becky."

"It was nothing Harry" she blushed at his compliment, "will that be all."

"Yes for now"

The three idly chatted about matters of no importance as they walked to the ball room that held Harry's party.

The room was filled with people from all walks of life; Aurors rubbed shoulders with school teachers, who rubbed shoulders with students, all around were people whose lives had been touched in some way by the boy who lived.

As Harry and the girls entered the room, Harry strained his neck hoping to find his best friend.

Noticing the hopeful actions of her best friend, Hermione laid a hand on his shoulder to attract his attention.

"I'm sorry Harry but Ron couldn't make it" Hermione told her best friend sadly "but he was able to send back a quick note explaining things."

"Thanks Hermione" Harry gave her a weak grin, "I'm sure that he had a good reason for missing the party, not like it's important anyways."

Hermione's jaw dropped at the last add in and she strained to think up some response, too late the comforting words formed in her mind and she never got her chance to tell Harry that it would all be ok.

"Harry dear" Molly rushed up and gathered him into a bone crunching hug, "it's so good to see you."

"Hello Mrs. Weasley" Harry said weakly from somewhere within her arms, "thank you for coming."

"Always happy to spend time with you dear" Molly beamed a smile down at him, "before I forget I have something for you from Ron."

"Really" Harry said brightening up.

"Yes dear"she nodded happily and he made me promise to give it to you the moment I saw you."

With that, Molly handed him a gift wrapped parcel, "not sure what is in it but he wanted to make sure that if he couldn't be here to give it to you himself then I would give it to you right off."

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley" Harry said as he escaped from her grip, "was the rest of the family able to attend?"

"Yes dear, even Percy" her expression turned stern, "and I don't want you picking on him until you have a chance to learn why he acted the way he did."

"I won't pick on him" Harry agreed quickly, "and I am very impressed by what he did and why."

"Well good then" Molly's smile returned, "I won't take anymore of your time, there are quite a few people who would like to speak to you and it wouldn't be fair to monopolize you."

"Harry" Ginny attacked the boy after her mother released him, "happy birthday."

"Thank you Ginny" Harry nodded to her, "thank you for coming."

"Wouldn't miss it Harry" Ginny nodded, "I was wondering if I could talk to you about something."

"Anything" Harry nodded, "do you want this to be private?"

"No, it's nothing like that" she took a deep breath, "do you think the Lord would be willing to sell me the bird that carried my invitation?"

"Why do you ask?" Harry avoided answering before he knew the facts.

"Well, he's just so adorable and smart that I don't want to let him go" Ginny said quickly, "and he seams to like me too since he's been living in my room and refusing to come back here."

"Consider him yours" Harry smiled at her, "if you like him that much then I'm sure that the Lord Azkaban would give him to you without hesitation."

"Oh thank you Harry" Ginny threw her arms around him, "but are you sure that he'll give the bird to me?"

"I'm sure" Harry said with an amused grin, "I know him better then most people and I know that he would have no problem with you taking the bird."

"I'll go tell my family the good news" Ginny said happily, "I know that they'll be just as excited about this as I am."

"Harry Potter Sir is truly a great wizard and he is very generous too" squeaked a small voice alerting Harry to the presence of the first house elf he had met, "very generous to invite Dobby and Winky to his party."

"Hello Dobby" Harry grinned at the small creature, "where is Winky?"

"Winky is in the kitchen Harry Potter Sir, she says that it is not proper for a house elf to put himself in Harry Potter Sir's party."

"She is more then welcome to come up" Harry frowned, "she does know that doesn't she?"

"Yes Harry Potter Sir" Dobby agreed, "Ms. Hermi is saying to Dobby to be in the wizarding party but Winky is saying that it not proper."

"Alright" Harry shrugged his shoulders, "so long as she knows."

"Yes Harry Potter Sir" Dobby agreed before going off to speak with Hermione.

Harry didn't know why but when he noticed Dobby turn from Hermione to speak with Becky he felt a foreboding chill go up his spine, shaking it off he turned back to the party.

The remainder of the party passed without any excitement save for one incident when Tonks slipped and fell onto Harry sending them both to the ground and placing them into a rather suggestive position to the amusement of many.

Hermione's annoyed growl was enough to silence much of the revelry and Becky's speculative stare was enough to silence the rest.

As Harry's guests were greeting the 'boy who lived,' a meeting was being held to determine how best to convey their best wishes at the occasion.

"My Lord…" whimpered Worm tail as he interrupted the Dark Lord's personal time, "you asked me to remind you that today is Potter's birthday."

Looking up from his easy bake oven the Dark Lord gave an evil grin, "then I suppose that I should be sure to send the poor boy a card then shouldn't I."

"Yes my Lord" Worm Tail agreed, happy that he wasn't going to be punished.

"Take several new recruits and have a bit of 'fun' with a family of mudbloods, then be sure to include a happy birthday message with the dark mark."

"Yes my Lord" the man said, "will that be all."

"Thank you Worm Tail, I almost forgot…CRUCIO."

The rat like man flopped on the ground screaming and losing bladder control for several minutes until the Dark Lord released the spell, "now get out of my sight."

Crawling from the room, Worm Tail took several minutes to regain his composure and clean his soiled garments before he went off in search of accomplices.

"You" the Dark Lord's servant pointed to a group of several new recruits, "the Dark Lord has a task for you."

"What is it?" asked one of the braver members of the group.

"We're going to play with a family of mudbloods" Worm Tail grinned, "and then we are going to wish Potter a happy birthday."

The group grinned and began to laugh after they heard that statement and within minutes they had made their preparations for the attack.

"Let's be off then" Worm Tail smiled as he drunk in the unfamiliar feeling of command, "and if anyone of you fails the Dark Lord then I will see to your punishment myself."

Choosing not to make a response the group Apparated to their chosen target and arrived to find several stone faced Aurors waiting for them.

"Hello Chadwick" an Aurors smiled nastily at one of the Death Eaters, "didn't expect to see me so soon did you?"

A heavy feeling signaled to the group that the anti transport wards had been raised and the battle was joined.

Back at Caer Azkaban, Harry was enjoying a dinner with his two favorite girls in the world.

"Harry" Becky interrupted their dinner upon learning of some important news, "there has just been an attack on a muggle borne family."

"Was anybody hurt?" Harry asked concerned.

"No Harry, one of the Death Eaters had been tagged with several tracking and monitoring charms and they landed right in the middle of an ambush."

"Good" Harry grinned, "very good, thank you for sharing this with me Becky."

"I'm afraid that not all the news is good Harry" Becky's face fell as she tried to find the words to convey the bad news, "three of the Death Eaters managed to escape."

"You can't get them all" Harry said with a shrug, "we'll have other chances to capture them."

"Yes Harry" Becky agreed, "but one of the escapees is described as a rat like man with a silver hand."

"Worm Tail" Hermione's furious whisper signaled her entrance to the conversation, "you're right Harry; we will have other chances to nab the rat."

As Harry was enjoying his dinner, Minerva was preparing herself to deal with what she was sure would be a rather unpleasant business.

"Hello Albus" she greeted the Headmaster, "I didn't see you at Harry's party today."

"Sit down Minerva" ignoring the subtle barb, Dumbledore took a deep breath as he prepared his speech, "I have come to some conclusions regarding your demands that Professor Snape improve his behavior."

"And" McGonagall demanded imperiously, "have you finally seen that our students are more important."

"What I've seen is that you have lost sight of the greater good Minerva" Dumbledore replied sadly, "and I have decided that if you cannot bring yourself to regain it then I shall be forced to dismiss you from your position."

"Really Albus" she replied showing none of the fear and resignation that he had expected to see, "and how do you expect to do that without the support of the school governors?"

"Do you really wish to tarnish your reputation by insisting on a hearing" Dumbledore asked gently, "if you do not wish to stay then all you must do is offer your resignation and I shall insure that you are given a pension that is more then generous."

"Resorting to bribery as well as threats now are we Albus" Minerva fixed him with a glare, "then I suppose I will have to resort to threats of my own, if you attempt to dismiss me then I shall insist on an open hearing where no doubt the reasons for my dismissal will come into the open and your pet in the dungeons will end up having to answer some unpleasant questions."

"Minerva please" he begged.

"I'm not done yet" she interrupted his platitudes, "after that I shall give several interviews to several news papers and parents groups where I will explain just why I am so concerned that a man who allows such personal bias is allowed to teach at school and what the cost has been, I will be sure to explain to everyone just how many lives you and your pet have ruined."

"You can't do this Minerva" Dumbledore exclaimed not liking the feeling of losing control, "think of what you are doing, you are putting a man's life at risk."

"No Albus" she disagreed, "I am finally following the oath I made when I became a teacher to place my students first, something you have forgotten I'm afraid."

"Then I am afraid that you leave me no choice but to have you placed in the secure psychiatric ward at St. Mungos, you won't be allowed visitors but you shall be released at the end of the war" shaking his head sadly, "I am sorry that this proved to be necessary Minerva but I suppose that it is for the best."

"Poor simple Albus" McGonagall shook her head sadly, "I had hoped that you wouldn't sink this far."

"I'm sorry Minerva but it is for the greater good" Dumbledore said arrogantly, "if you had not allowed yourself to be blinded by your personal feelings then you would know that I am correct."

"When I said that I hoped you wouldn't sink this far that did not mean that I did not expect it" McGonagall gave a vicious grin, "and take steps to neutralize it."

"What do you mean" Dumbledore asked once again losing confidence that he controlled the situation.

"I mean that I have already sent a letter to the Lord of Azkaban outlining my concerns and he as already sent a response telling me that I have his full support in this matter."

"Minerva please, I'm begging you a man's life is at stake."

"Something that is none of my concern, the risk is entirely due to his decisions and yours and it has nothing to do with the students at this school" she gave him a withering glare, "and since it has nothing to do with the students then I have no reason to care about his fate and I am tired of allowing my children to pay the price for his mistakes."

* * *

AN: Hermione created much of the guest list and I figured that it would be very IC for her to include house elves.

lmill123 – Dumbledore wants to protect Harry and his big problem is that he is unwilling to accept the fact that Harry does not need his help or that other people may know more about the situation then he does, in short he has started to believe his own publicity.

jess131346/jess-darkwater – Thanks

uten – Yup, without Ron's influence and Albus's manipulation Harry has started to grow up. Despite his adventures, Ron still has a very sheltered view of the world. Becky is also growing up and learning that there is more to the world then Harry, one of the reasons I brought Hermione to the Island. Hmmm, interesting idea about the undead around the Island. Yahoo is starting to work now, the word is slowly spreading that the Lord will accept them and many are waiting to see what the cost will be.

athenakitty – Draco will get exactly what he deserves. Harry will never get that bird back; it has found its new home. The birds had fun with the twins and vice versa. Not sure how to handle Snape in the future. Very.

the Lady Aerin – Becky will stay in the same year as Harry despite her age.

"Worm tail" the Dark Lord hissed "did you get it?"

"Yes master" the rat like man bowed "an autographed copy of 'I am Spock.'"

"Excellent"Nunyabizness – Hmmm, interesting idea I may have to steal it. thesteffis - Thanks

Kaaera – Glad you like it.

Valkyrie Nienna Helyanwe - Not Vultures, Augureys AKA Irish Phoenixes. The people of Azkaban have different messengers.

Smeg – Heh, I think that a stork would inspire too much terror.

Angelina drew her wand in fear after hearing the most horrible whimpering sounds coming from the back rooms of Weasley Wizard Wheezes.

Steeling herself for a possible confrontation she whipped around the corner and nearly dropped her wand in surprise for their huddled in the corner clutching each other, fearful tears rolling down their faces were Fred and George and a large Stork.

"Get away from us" one of the twins yelled fearfully, "yeah go find our dad, you should be able to find him in your sleep by now."

Bob – Good image.

ginoeh – Bwahahahaha, another victim of my evil plan.


	21. The Party Ends and Intrigue Begins

Disclaimer: I do not own the ideas that this fic is based upon.

* * *

The Party Ends and Intrigue Begins

* * *

"Harry" Becky called to her Lord attracting his attention. 

"Yes Becky" Harry replied looking up from his desert, "what is it?"

"Despite the fact that the three of us left the party to enjoy our meal together over two hours ago, the party is still quite active."

"Thank you for informing me" Harry nodded to her, "do you two think that it would be a good idea to rejoin the crowd?"

"It would be the polite thing to do" Hermione nodded, "after all you are the host."

"But they are in your home and the party has been going on longer then planned" Becky countered, "besides as the Lord of Azkaban, within these shores there is nothing you can do that would be impolite."

"Thank you" Harry smiled at the two of them, "I think that it would be a good idea to make one more appearance before calling it a night."

"Alright Harry" Becky nodded.

"Ok Harry" Hermione agreed in eerie stereo.

"Some day I'll have to figure out how the two of you do that" Harry grinned at them.

"Do what?" the girls asked together.

"Now that's just strange"

In the stables, one of the Azkaban Palace Guard was living every cop's worst nightmare, that of being alone in the dark with a large man whose motives are unknown.

"Excuse me Sir" the guard looked up at the giant man that he had found in the stables, "but what are you doing here?"

"Sorry bout that" the giant man looked down at him, "came ere fer Arry's birthday party and when I stepped out fer a bit of fresh air I smelled the stables and ah jus had ta take a look."

"I see" the guard nodded after deciphering the man's thick burr, "well we best be leaving before the stable master catches us poking about his domain."

"Too late" whispered a voice from the darkness, "and who might you be."

"Ah'm Rebeus Hagrid" the large man identified himself, "Hogwarts ground keeper, Professor of the Care of Magical Creatures, and keeper of the keys."

"Professor of Caring for Magical Creatures?" the voice said with interest, "so it was professional interest that brought you to my stable?"

"Shore was" the big man agreed, "didna want ta disturb ya though."

"Nonsense, you did not disturb anyone and I am always pleased to speak with a college" the shadows seemed to melt away from a figure nearly as large as Hagrid, "my name is Fear Liath More, though many call me the Grey man."

"Pleased ta meet'cha" Hagrid nodded enthusiastically as he presented his hand.

"Likewise" then turning to the guard, "I will not be requiring your presence any longer."

"Yes Sir" the guard nodded before continuing his rounds.

"So Hagrid" the Grey man asked his new acquaintance, "how do you like my Nightmares?"

"Cute lil fellas" Hagrid nodded towards a paddock containing several, "just wish there were more beasties ta see on this Island."

"Oh but there are" the Grey man nodded, "let us contact Edric the Wild so that you can see his puppies and old Aengus so you may see those birds that he is so proud of."

"Don't want ta be no bother" Hagrid protested.

"No bother at all, there is no way that I would rather spend my night then in a conversation with several colleagues."

"Well if it's no trouble" Hagrid agreed with barely suppressed glee, "den ah suppose, it twould be an honor."

"Excellent" the stable master nodded, "then let us be off."

While Hagrid was headed toward a meeting with several people that shared his love of incredibly dangerous creatures, back at the party Harry was about to have a meeting of his own . . .

"Good evening Harry" the transfiguration professor greeted one of her favorite students, "I apologies for my late arrival but I was delayed by a meeting with Albus."

"That's ok Professor" the boy who lived smiled at her, "I'm just glad to see you here."

"Harry" the old woman looked into his eyes, "I would like to speak to you about something."

"Sure thing Professor" Harry replied a bit confused.

"Alone"

"Ah" Harry nodded in understanding, "if you'll just follow me I believe that we can find ourselves a bit of privacy."

Leading his professor to one of the empty adjoining rooms, Harry motioned for her to enter and with a well placed glance summoned his personal assistant and his best friend.

"I hope you don't mind professor but I would like for Becky and Hermione to sit in on our meeting."

"Not at all Harry" McGonagall said with a knowing grin, "I think that it would be a great idea for you to keep them close to you."

"Thanks Professor" Harry said a bit confused at the second part of her statement, "they should be here soon."

Moments later they were joined by the two girls who gave the professor a curious glance before entering the room and closing the door behind them.

"So what was it you wished to speak of Professor?" Harry asked the head of Gryffindor, "something to do with our new status?"

"No Harry, I fear that I am no longer safe at Hogwarts" the woman replied sadly, "before I came here Albus threatened that if I would not follow his orders and continue to ignore Snape's failings as a teacher then he would use his influence to have me locked into the secure Ward as St. Mungos, and I fear that it was only through invoking your name that I was able to remain free."

"He did what" Harry asked quietly, his stance speaking of barely restrained rage.

"I'm afraid it's true Harry" the old woman nodded, "he said that I had lost sight of the 'greater good' and needed to be imprisoned for the safety of all."

"I see" Harry's eyes burned with rage, "what do you wish from me?"

"At our meeting, I told Albus that you had been informed of the situation and had pledged your protection" McGonagall paused to take a breath, "I am asking for that protection, or failing that asylum on the Island."

"You have it" Harry nodded, "either or both, whichever you prefer."

"Thank you Harry" McGonagall nodded happily, "now what's this I hear about losing my two best students?'"

"It was the best way to remove ourselves from Dumbledore's influence" Harry said simply.

"Don't think for a moment it was because of something that you did" Hermione agreed, "you're the best professor at Hogwarts."

"Thank you for putting an old woman's heart at ease" Minerva smiled warmly at the two, "now let us get back to this party of yours."

"Alright professor" Harry nodded, "we'll catch up to you I just want to discuss a few things with the girls first."

"Well then I'll see you at the party then" McGonagall shot him a knowing look, "just don't let your self be too distracted with these 'discussions' and forget to return to the party."

"I won't professor" Harry assured her, a bit confused by the implications.

McGonagall smiled at the dear boy and the twin blushes that had appeared on the girls and took her leave.

Waiting for the door to close Harry turned to the girls, "how likely do you think it is that he has done this sort of thing before?"

"I don't know Harry" Hermione replied sadly, "but I think it would be a good idea to find out."

"So do I" Harry nodded, "Becky?"

"I will inform the guard of your wishes immediately" Becky nodded, "will that be all?"

"One more thing" Harry replied, "does either of you know what she was trying to imply when she left?"

"Yes Harry" Becky responded with a blush.

"But it's not important" Hermione interrupted, her face adorned with a matching blush, "we should really return to the party now."

"Ok" Harry nodded and allowed himself to be led toward the door, "but I really want to know."

Ignoring him, the two girls took their customary flanking positions and gently pushed him back into the crowd.

Waiting until Harry had left their presence; Hermione turned to Becky and asked the question that had been bothering her since earlier that night, "what exactly did you discuss with Dobby?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Becky asked innocently.

"I'm not Harry and I know that you are up to something" Hermione smirked at the younger girl, "besides without my help Harry would never be that easy to distract."

"He was interested in wither or not he and Winky could enter my Lord's service" Becky said quietly, "I told him that based on my observations I did not think that the Lord Azkaban would be interested in bonding a pair of House Elves."

"What else" Hermione asked curiously, "your discussion was much to long for just that."

"Then I may have mentioned that my Lord Azkaban may be willing to allow the naturalization of two new citizens" admitted Becky reluctantly, "and Dobby said something about having to convince Winky first."

"Thank you Becky" Hermione beamed at her friend, "I'm glad that you did your part to strengthen the cause of elf rights."

Any further conversation between the two girls was interrupted by the addition of Ginny Weasley to their little circle.

"So Hermione, Becky" the youngest Weasley grinned impishly at the other two girls, "I noticed that you two disappeared off somewhere with Harry for a few hours earlier this evening, anything you want to share with me . . .and I want every little detail."

After a few more minutes of mingling, Harry was beginning to have difficulty keeping his eyes open and he decided to wander back to his two girls to inform them that he was going to take his leave.

"Hermione, Becky" he said as he walked up to the trio of girls, nodding to Ginny.

"What is it Harry" Hermione asked, taking note of his bedraggled appearance.

"I just wanted to tell you two that I'm going to bed, so if you don't see me around the room then you know where I will be."

"Ok Harry" Hermione nodded, "I'll meet you outside the door, I just want to finish my conversation with Ginny."

Nodding in comprehension, Harry took his leave and began to walk towards the exit.

"So" Ginny said giving the other two girls a speculative look, "you and Harry are 'just friends' huh."

"Yes Ginny I've already told you that a dozen times"

"Since when does a boy that you're just friends with tell you before he's about to go to bed."

"Since always" Hermione said with a bit of annoyance, "it happens all the time in the common room."

"But in the common room you don't immediately rush out to join him" Ginny replied triumphantly, and then left insuring that she got the last word.

"I think that it would be best to just walk out of here and join Harry" Hermione said mostly to herself as she watched the small redhead walk away, "I think that would be the best way to maintain our dignity after that remark."

"If you say so" Becky agreed with a shrug, not really caring about dignity and wishing only to rejoin her Lord.

Joining Harry in the Hall, the three made their way to the Lord's apartments and separated into their respective bedrooms.

Walking over to his desk, Harry rubbed his eyes to ward off sleep and decided that before he would allow himself to drift into sleep and rejoin the land of dreams, there was one task that Harry intended to complete.

Harry's face twisted into a strange expression when he read Ron's letter; shaking his head sadly he chose to open the parcel before writing his response.

Under the wrapping was a polished wooden box and Harry looked at it for several minutes before he was able to figure out the locking mechanism.

Opening it, Harry saw that it contained an intricately carved chess board with pieces of the finest crystal, and in it was also another note.

_Harry, _

_I won this chess set in my first tournament, placed third and when I heard what it does I immediately thought of you. _

_The board is nothing special, all it has is the ability to save and repeat past games. The chess men are a bit more interesting as they have been enchanted so that they do not need two players. The Judge that presented this to me explained that this would be the perfect teacher for someone on a 'lower level' (no offence Harry) because they are able to match themselves to your ability. _

_I hope that some day we can again play chess together and that in the future you will give me more of a challenge so please practice with this if you have the time, if not I hope that you can find some use for this. _

_Your friend_

_Ron_

_P.S._

_Forgot to mention, it can also be used as a normal chess set if you want. _

Picking up his quill, Harry drew fourth a bit of parchment and closed his eyes as he tried to think of the best possible way to respond to the situation.

_Dear Ron,_

_First of all I want to assure you that I feel nothing but joy for your recent good fortune and that hearing of your good luck could never cause me to doubt our friendship. It is perfectly natural for you to overlook telling me in light of all that has happened. With that said, I have a confession to make . . . I have neglected to inform you of some of my more recent activities as well and for that I am sorry, I meant to tell you in the beginning but things spiraled out of control, then I was going to tell you at the party but since you weren't there I had to change my plans again. I don't know how to tell you of all that has happened but I do know that a letter is not the proper method so I find that I must delay once again, and for that I am sorry. If it is any consolation, very few people know about this and currently the list is quite short. I would have told you sooner but I was afraid that you would not be happy at the news and so I allowed my cowardice to rule my reason and I chose to delay, and after I regained my courage I found that it would not be prudent to entrust this information to anything less then the most secure of mediums of witch paper is not one. That out of the way, I would like to thank you for the chess set and warn you that I shall do my best to destroy you in our next encounter. _

_Your friend, _

_Harry James Potter_

The next morning, a strange bird flew into the premier chess institute in the wizarding world.

Holding out his arm when he recognized the creature that had delivered Harry's last correspondence, Ron eagerly took the bird's burden and began to read.

Ron smiled as he read Harry's letter and then smirked when he came to the part about how Harry was keeping secrets, shoulders shaking in mirth Ron wondered what could possibly cause Harry to worry so much . . . after all, it wasn't like he had become some sort of 'all powerful lord' on a dark Island or something, was it?

"Heh" Ron mumbled to himself, "Harry can be so melodramatic sometimes and he doesn't know how lucky he is to have me around to keep him grounded."

* * *

AN: Man I hate my job, that being said it's time to move on to my notes. It has been pointed out to me that Ron's letter is a bit condescending and while I did try to rewrite it to appear a bit less arrogant, I was unable to as it just seemed to fit my interpretation of the character. As for Harry's rather mild response, I think that the arrogant tone of the letter would be lost on him considering his background. Think that I may have figured out a way to cure Neville's parents without some sort of 'golden bb' spell or potion that cures all in the blink of an eye. Not sure how well I did on writing out Hagrid's dialect but I did my best. 

Ricardo – Good idea may have to include some of this.

Fuzzball - Oops

Maxennce – He has been backed into a corner, he thinks that saving a life is more important then anything else and this is affecting his judgment.

captuniv – Damn, you figured out a future plot point good job. Dobby did not ask for citizenship but you are quite close.

Kaaera – That could be an interesting story line, Dumbledore using the threat of a dark lord to increase his own power base. Not what is happening in this case but I think that it would be interesting if one could pull it off.

Zaxxon – I shall keep that in mind.

GMT – You are correct and I shouldn't have trusted my spell checker.

Teal Thanatos – Thanks for all the reviews, this is my first major fic and it is always great to get specifics on some of the things that I need to improve upon. Once again I can not overstate how valuable your reviews have been, hope to see more in the future.

pimpilidimpi – Thanks for the review, Harry agreed to return to Hogwarts to wrangle a few concessions out of Dumbledore, and this will be revisited later in the story. Logic seems lost on the wizarding world and when it comes to the Lord of Azkaban they are blinded by their preconceptions, that being said nobody saw Harry enter or leave Gringotts. It is cruel but it has the virtue of being the only way that I could think of to punish them. I don't know, this is the same man that sent two children to face several dementors with nothing but a nod and a twinkle, and the same man who left a baby with an abusive family because it was for the greater good and so that the child would not grow to be blinded by his fame. Minerva has disagreed with Dumbledore in the past, best example is about leaving Harry with the Dursleys, she may be a member of the Order but that does not mean that she will blindly follow the leader. If Dumbledore did not know the way that Snape behaves then he is incompetent has no right to be the Headmaster, he has had several years to find out and it is his job to know. Glad you did write such a large review, and I am glad you like it.

dead feather – No insult I am a guy, Augury not Vulture (Just looks like a vulture). I've seen girls cooing over ugly scared one eyed tom cats, and dogs that I would have thought were long since dead if they did not move occasionally. Compared to that I thought an Augury was a bit tame. And I am glad that you like the story.

borne-shadow-childe – Trying to think of something to do with snakes in later chapters, and no I did not know that interesting.


	22. Reunion

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, I believe that it is owned by a number of people and corporations.

* * *

Reunion

* * *

"Good morning Harry" Becky greeted him from her customary spot by his bed, "how are you today."

"Still a bit worn out after all the partying last night" Harry replied with a grin, "and you."

"I am also a bit drowsy"

"What's on the schedule today?"

"Today you have a meeting with the students that were selected by Professor McGonagall to go to Hogwarts" pausing to look at her notes, "and one of our investigations has turned up some rather disturbing information that requires your immediate attention."

"Will it wait until after my meeting with the students?" Harry asked mildly, "Because I would rather not go into it after being influenced by whatever the information is."

"It should wait" Becky nodded after a moment, "provided I schedule the meeting with the students for directly after breakfast."

"Do it" Harry said as he got up from his bed, "and see if Hermione would be willing to sit in on both these meetings, I want both of your input."

"Yes Harry" Becky agreed as she walked towards the door to meet with her friend.

Stepping out of his room dressed in his customary uniform, Harry was greeted by the two girls and together the three of them stepped into the dining room for a bit of breakfast.

The meal passed in silence, each member pondering the possible nature of the news that they would learn after their meeting.

"You two done?" Harry asked after noticing that the two had stopped eating and after receiving their answering nodes, rose and began the short walk to the meeting.

Entering the room, Harry was surprised to find that the students were standing in formation and at his entrance the student at its head called the group to attention.

Waiting for three measured seconds after his troops had straightened themselves, the troop leader made a smart about face and saluted, "Cadet Captain Salibard and training detachment one alpha reporting as ordered Sir."

"At ease" Harry replied returning the salute, "I just wanted to get a look at you and give you some ground rules for interacting with me while I am at Hogwarts with you."

"Yes Sir" Cadet Captain Salibard replied a bit uncertainly.

"Mostly you are to avoid at all costs revealing that I am the Lord of Azkaban, Understood?"

"Sir Yes Sir" the detachment replied enthusiastically.

"Good, the other thing is that you are to avoid any conflicts with the Hogwarts students and staff" Harry continued, "however this does not mean that you can not defend yourselves, and this does not mean that you are to take any abuse. What this does mean is that I want them to be the aggressor, Understood?"

"Sir Yes Sir" the detachment replied.

"Questions?"

"Sir, Cadet Sergeant Jilinad" a pretty young girl identified herself, "are we operating under the protection of a SOFA Sir?"

"Yes" Harry nodded, "my deal with Dumbledore states that any breach in discipline is to be handled by me or my designated representative."

"Sir, Cadet Corporal Galos" one of the younger boys identified himself, "how are we to refer to you Sir?"

"Call me Sir or Commander" Harry replied after a moment of thought, "but do not allow them to know that I am the Commander in Chief of the Azkaban military, if they ask why I am a commander at so young an age tell them that it is because of the Lord of Azkaban and refuse to reveal any more information, understood."

"Sir Yes Sir"

"Good" Harry nodded in satisfaction, "any more questions"

Looking around the room and seeing none Harry decided to finish up, "good then to close I would like to say that you were chosen because you are some of the best that this Island had to offer and I know that you are going to be a credit to me, the Island and the Guard and that you are to charge any school items to my personal account, understood?"

"Sir Yes Sir"

"I conceder luxury items like pets and communications items like ravens to be school materials and I expect all of you to be equipped with the best that is available, Understood?"

"Sir Yes Sir"

"Good, then you are all dismissed" Harry took one last look at the group before taking his leave.

Stepping out of the door Harry turned to Becky, "who is going to brief me on that 'disturbing information' that you told me about?"

"Commander Maxwell has been given that particular honor" Becky replied, "shall I tell him that we are on our way to the meeting room?"

"Yes" was Harry's terse answer

Walking to the room of his next meeting, Harry threw open the door and walked inside, eager to get things over and done with.

"Good morning my Lord" the Commander of Azkaban's guard greeted his liege, "how are you this morning."

"I'm fine, now what was this information that you have for me?"

"As my Lordship recalls, last night you ordered an investigation of the secure Psychiatric at St. Mungos."

"Yes, what about it" Harry asked somewhat impatiently

"My Lordship was somewhat concerned that Headmaster Dumbledore may have illegally detained some people and I can safely say that this is not the case and that based on past behavior we believe that his threat to Professor McGonagall may have been nothing more then a bluff."

"I sense a 'but' here" Hermione entered the conversation, "what else have you learned?"

"We have learned that while Headmaster Dumbledore has not been using the ward as a secret prison" here Maxwell took a deep breath, "the minister has been and we have evidence that this practice has been going on since at least the tenure of former Minister of Magic Millicent Bagnold."

"What evidence?" Harry asked slowly

"The fact that Aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom have been held since 1981" the man replied quietly.

"What?" Harry's pupils shrunk to pin pricks, "then what was the effect of their long exposure to the Cruciatus curse?"

"We have evidence that shows that they were successfully treated after six months and that they have since been held against their will."

"Why?" was Harry's sharp question.

"We believe that the former Minister may have seen them as possible threats to her power structure" Maxwell answered, "after all they were popular Aurors that had an almost unparalleled record of success against the Dark Lord and it is also likely that the Minister was afraid that they would no longer ignore some of her more blatant abuses without the threat of Voldemort, and one source suggests that they may have believed that it would endanger public welfare to keep two such dangerous people around in times of peace."

"I see" Harry's face was hardened in anger

"I can't believe that the Department of Magical Law Enforcement would do this to two of their people and I find it very hard to believe that they could do this without our people finding out" Becky suggested, "that being said how was it done."

"The personnel were hand picked and trained by people loyal to the Minister and paid out of the Minister's discretionary fund, the training budget went under the title of 'the Minister's Scholarship for Psychiatric Excellence' and the guards were referred to as Doctors in private Ministry memos."

"Let me guess" Hermione's voice was tight with rage, "the prisoners were referred to as patents."

"Yes they were" Maxwell agreed, "they were also forcibly given psychotropic drugs and other medical potions before any visits so that their visitors would become witnesses to how 'sick' they were."

"I want preparations made for a full scale assault on the Secure Ward and I want every one of those people rescued and brought to St. Mungos" Harry's eyes were alive with rage, "unfortunately every one of the guards in the Minister's secret prison are so loyal that they will be killed in the assault, but first I want them to be interrogated, I want to learn everything they know."

"Harry" Hermione looked at him in shock, surprised that her friend could show such ruthlessness.

"Yes my Lord" Maxwell agreed without any expression, "Will that be all?"

"Have the guards imprisoned in the deepest pit on the Island" Harry said after a moment of thought, "they will be dead in the eyes of the public but here on Azkaban they will be tried and given Justice."

"Yes my Lord" Maxwell agreed with a bit of enthusiasm, "Do you wish to join the assault?"

"I . . ." he trailed off after noticing the twin glares being shot at Commander Maxwell by the two girls, "think that it would be best to allow that honor to fall on the professionals and I will join the attack after it has progressed to the point that I will not be a hindrance."

"Very good Sir" Maxwell nodded, "with your permission I will go and see about making the arrangements."

"Go" Harry responded with a single word.

"As my Lord Commands" Maxwell saluted and left the room.

"I want Neville and his family to be brought to the Island, but they are not to be told why until after the Longbottoms have been cleared by the hospital."

"It shall be done Harry" Becky made several notations in her book, "will that be all."

"No" Harry shook his head, "I want every aspect of the wizarding world investigated for similar abuses and I want to know every dirty secret as soon as possible."

"Yes my Lord" Becky nodded and began to write furiously in her book.

"You can't be serious Harry" Hermione provided the voice of reason; "it would stretch your forces too thin to effectively deal with Tom."

Harry's shoulders dropped "your right Hermione cancel those last orders Becky."

"You can still have Fudge's brain emptied of every wrong after he is turned over to your control after the trial" Becky suggested mildly, "it may not be as dramatic but it does have the virtue of being more effective."

"Then do that Becky" Harry closed his eyes, "when did the world become so complicated."

"I don't know Harry" Hermione laid a comforting hand on his arm, "but at least you don't have to face it alone.

Three hours later a dozen blood soaked figures dropped to the floor of the secure ward at St. Mungos.

Rushing over to investigate the scene the Doctor looked on in horror as he witnessed the extent of their injuries, "What's going on here?"

"Battle" one of the blood soaked figures was able to reply through teeth clinched in pain, "more on the way."

"But this isn't the right ward, you want trauma this is psychiatry."

"Damn the Ministry and their bad portkeys then" the man coughed up a bit of blood, "and get all of your orderlies here, my men are injured and need help."

"Yes of course" the Doctor agreed running towards the exit, "it will only be a moment."

"Hurry" the urgency in the tone quickened the Doctor's pace, "some of my men don't have much time left."

Moments later the Doctor returned with a sizeable group of orderlies, "these are all the men I can spare to help you, I've striped my ward of all but three people and those three are needed for other things."

"Good" replied one of the suddenly healthy patients as hexes began flying at the orderlies.

The 'battle' if one could call it that was over in a short time, the forces of Azkaban proving once again that quality and surprise will overcome quantity in most conflicts.

"I want this floor cleared, keep the initiative and don't give them a chance to kill any prisoners" lifting the watch to his mouth, "where's my reinforcements, I need my reinforcements."

Seconds later the tell tale 'pops' of successful apparition began to fill the room as Azkaban regulars arrived to join the assault, accompanying them was Commander Maxwell and the Lord of Azkaban.

"Status" Harry asked the commander of the first group as he arrived in the room.

"I don't have time to deal with some wet behind the ears Lieutenant" the man replied with anger as he turned towards Harry, "I still have men in the . . . my Lord?"

"Then pleas continue whatever you were doing" Harry told the now gaping man with amusement, "I wouldn't want to take too much of your time."

"My Lord Azkaban" Maxwell spoke from Harry's left, "allow me to introduce Lieutenant Commander Watters Special Services Detachment five, of your guard."

"Good to meet you Watters, Maxwell has been telling me that you are one of my best officers" Harry nodded to him, "now unless you don't have the time to spare, I really would like to hear your status."

"Yes my Lord" Watters allowed his professionalism to overcome his nervousness, "two of my men have been injured, four of the tangos have been killed, and we have recovered several of the prisoners."

"Good work" Harry nodded, "very good work, how much of the floor has been cleared?"

"Only a few more rooms Sir" Watters replied, "and we do not expect to encounter any heavy resistance."

"Good work Commander" Harry replied before turning away, "Maxwell I want my medical support here right now and I want my wounded taken back to the Island as soon as it is possible."

"Yes My Lord"

Elsewhere, two men appeared before a large stone manner house and approached the door.

Turning to knock while his companion watched, the man was surprised when the door opened to reveal the scowling visage of an old woman before he had a chance to announce his presence.

"Mrs. Longbottom" the man asked respectfully.

"Yes, what do you want?"

"My Lord Azkaban has requested your presence and that of your grandson at your soonest possible convenience."

"Why?"

"I have been instructed not to say ma'm" the man answered with regret in his voice, "but I am allowed to say that you will be quite pleased by his news."

"Alright" the old woman allowed, "but we are to keep our wands and I want to be taken in his coach, if he wants to see us that badly then he should at least have the decency to provide the transportation."

"Yes ma'm" the large guard agreed, "will that be all, I also have orders to bring the rest of your family should you wish it."

"Neville and I will be sufficient for now" the old woman replied in regal tones, "should I wish for the rest I will send for them."

"Yes ma'm" the guard agreed, "The coach will be arriving at any moment."

"Good" she nodded, "Neville will be down shortly."

Stumbling down the stairs, Neville was soon at the side of his 'gran.'

Standing silently, the two waited for the arrival of the carriage that would take them to Azkaban.

Raising an eyebrow at the Coach's loud arrival, the old woman immediately began walking towards the door of the carriage as it drew to a stop before her residence, ignoring the guard that had opened the door she turned to offer her grandson a hand as they entered and prepared for their journey.

"What do you think they want with us?" Neville asked his grandmother as the carriage began to move.

"I don't know Neville" she gave him one of her rare smiles, "but I do not think that it will be anything to bad."

"Why not" the boy asked curiously, "how could going to Azkaban be anything but terrible?"

"The Lord of Azkaban operates under a very old set of rules" the old woman replied, "and the fact that he has allowed us the use of his carriage would mean that he has either placed us under his personal protection for our journey to and from the Island or . . ."

"Or?"

"Or he wishes the privilege of killing us himself and this is his way of telling the guards to bring us without harming us."

"Oh" said the suddenly pale boy.

"I wouldn't worry dear" she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I can't think of anything that we could have done to anger him that much, as I said he operates under some very old rules so it is likely that we have been summoned for something else."

"Like what?"

"My guess is that they have captured one of the LeStranges and that he intends to give him to you."

"Oh" Neville was quiet for a time to conceder the information, "I'm sorry gran but I don't know if I can kill someone that can't fight back."

"Don't worry dear" she squeezed his knee, "I'm very proud of you for saying that and if it comes down to it I will do it and save you from becoming a killer at such a young age."

"Thank you" the boy examined his lap, "but I don't want you to become a killer just to protect me from it."

"I'm afraid that it's too late to worry about protecting me from that" the old woman forced a smile, "chin up, we must present the right impression."

"Yes gran"

The reminder of the trip passed in silence as the two contemplated their possible future.

After what seemed like an eternity the carriage slowed to a halt before the massive doors that marked the main entrance to Azkaban castle and the door was opened by a respectful coachman.

"We're here miss" he waited for them to exit before closing the door behind them, "if you will just follow me."

He led them through a blinding array of doors and passages before motioning them to enter one of the castle's infirmaries.

Motioning for them to enter, the man bowed and took his leave.

"Why do you think he brought us here gran?"

Movement from one of the beds prevented the old woman's answer as one of the figures raised her head "Neville?"

"Mum?"

* * *

AN: Incase you missed it, during Neville's visits the Longbottoms were drugged out of their minds (literally).

Thanks for the reviews; responses to some of them are below.

anna may – As you can see it was not Dumbledore, at this point I have not decided wither or not Dumbledore was even aware of their confinement.

Kaaera – Thanks, writing in dialect is one of the harder things that I have to do in this story.

Drake Smythe – Currently I work in retail for the Job that I hate while I look for something better.

dead feather – Heh, you may have a point the whole 'cute thing' was not something I could ever figure out. Somewhere in your post you have revealed an important future plot point. Good point about the coach in front of Gringotts.

bellashade – Which witch, oops been using Witch so much I guess I wasn't paying enough attention.

athenakitty – Not any time soon. No, but they may show up in class. Harry has what he wants. No one knows why he trusts Snape so much, at the moment not even me. No, McGonagall was the most ambitious thing Dumbledore ever attempted. Yes. Yes. Heh. Hadn't thought of that, maybe. Percy and Arthur will be a bit surprised and supportive, Molly will be worried, Ginny and the twins will think it's cool, Bill and Charlie will not know what to think. No, Ron is gone for a while. If they Weasels find out then Snape and Dumbledore had better kill themselves because that is the only way that they will escape the woman that even the legendary ghost is afraid of.

Kail Ceannai – Bodyguards still use them, Becky and Hermione are around Harry and each other almost all the time and I am working under the assumption that Ron either lost his or left it at home.

Siripirituas – Glad you like the story. Remus knows, when he was granted citizenship he knew.

Phoebs – Don't really like Ron, but at the moment I do have plans for him to return and when he does he will be portrayed in a much better light.

woo hoo - Recently it has been less writers block and more my job.


	23. A Diplomatic Problem

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Harry Potter, though I will admit that I wish I did.

* * *

A Diplomatic Problem

* * *

"Mum," the boy cried as he threw himself into her arms, experiencing his mothers embrace for the first time in conscious memory.

Alice felt tears roll down her cheeks as she held her only child, and as she reveled in the feeling that had been denied to her so long an overwhelming sense of gratitude welled up towards the Lord of Azkaban . . . The man who had given to them a family again.

Watching from a distance was the cloaked figure of the Lord of Azkaban; smiling sadly he turned and left, it was not his place to intrude.

Pausing by the door after leaving the room, Harry didn't even turn towards the man he knew was waiting in the shadows, "do it . . . the reunion has wiped away any hesitancy I might have had about this course of action."

"As my Lord Commands" the head of Azkabans' foreign affairs division grinned to his Lord's retreating back, this was going to be fun.

Turning to his underlings, Azkabans' chief diplomat began to give instructions "I want a meeting set up with the Ministry as soon as possible, tell them that I have managed to calm my Lord and that I do not believe that war is unavoidable."

"At once" the man nodded before scurrying off.

"You" the chief diplomat turned to another, "I want reporters from every media company there and I do not want them to know that I alerted them, if possible make it appear as if the leak came from the ministry."

"It shall be done" the man grinned evilly before going about his task.

"Finally, I need someone to inform Maxwell that I would like to meet with him" the diplomat smiled, "I want to make it clear to him that this is a matter for my diplomats, not his soldiers."

Hours later, a large crowd of reporters gathered on the steps of the ministry building all of them waiting for the event that their ministry sources had warned them was imminent.

A large bang announced the arrival of the Lord of Azkabans' private coach and disappointment warred with relief when the door opened to reveal Azkabans' chief diplomat rather then its Lord.

"Good heavens" he exclaimed as he took in the mass of reporters, "what are you chaps doing here?"

"We've come to witness your arrival" one of the reporters replied, "would you care to answer some questions?"

"I suppose I must" the diplomat sighed, "I suppose that I should start by introducing myself, I am Abaleric McAlister and I am chief of Azkabans' foreign service and I would like to start out by informing you that none of the rumors that you have been hearing are true and that my Lord has calmed down after first hearing of the news."

"Which rumors are you referring to" one of the reporters prompted.

"Oh my" the diplomat was taken aback; "I suppose I shouldn't say if you haven't already heard, I don't want to be accused of spreading rumors."

"It's perfectly alright sir" a reporter assured him with an innocent expression, "my colleague was just asking you which of the rumors you were refuting, after all in our line of work you hear so many…"

"Yes of course" Azkabans' chief diplomat nodded in understanding, "I'm sorry but I have so little experience outside the Island that I sometimes forget how big the world is."

"Perfectly alright" the reporter assured him as the faces around him took on shark like grins, "now if you would be so kind as to answer the question?"

"Well to start off, I would like to assure all of you that the Lord of Azkaban will not be declaring war on the ministry" he gave an innocent smile to the speechless reporters, "while it is true that he almost ordered his troops to march on London after hearing the news that the ministry had violated their treaty with the Island and was operating a secret prison, we were able to persuade him to ignore some of his more aggressive advisors and at this time so long as the ministry is reasonable then I believe that there is still a chance to avoid a war."

"Could you tell us some of the people rescued from this prison and the charges that they were illegally held under?" one of the reporters was able to overcome his shock and fear.

"Well the two that I can recall off the top of my head were a husband and wife Auror team called the" he paused to think, "the Longbottoms I believe, one of the former Ministers saw them as a threat to their power base I'm afraid."

All further questioning was cut short by the sudden appearance of several men wearing the uniforms of the Azkaban guard.

The diplomat's eyes narrowed in anger as he approached the new arrivals, "I told you that this is a matter for the diplomats and not your soldiers, there will be no bloodshed here."

"I do not know what you are referring to" the young commander said with an uplifted chin, "we are here at the command of his Lordship to insure your safety from possible harm."

The diplomat just ground his teeth, "well I expect you all to behave yourselves and to cause no harm to our hosts."

"We wouldn't dream of it" the young officer smirked, "unless of course you are unable to resolve things peacefully."

Their whispered conversation continued for several minutes before the Diplomat returned to the press conference.

"I'm terribly sorry about that and I would like to go on record as saying that I think that it is an outrage that these troops have arrived."

"Sir" one of the reporters asked respectfully, "if as you say the Lord of Azkaban has calmed, then why have those soldiers appeared?"

"I have been informed by the guard force commander that they have arrived to see to my safety and so that they may be on hand in case the talks are not as productive as they need to be," the man let out a breath, "now if you will excuse me, I really must meet with the Ministry."

Walking briskly up the stairs, Azkabans' senior diplomat did his best to ignore the soldiers stationed around him as he headed off to his meeting with the wizarding government.

Walking into the meeting room he took in the assembled leaders of the wizarding world and paused, "I do not wish to be rude, but why is the headmaster of one of your schools present?"

"Headmaster Dumbledore is here at our request" replied Amelia Bones the head of Magical Law Enforcement, "and as the head of the …"

"I do hate to interrupt" the diplomat began, "but the fact is that he has nothing to do with the treaty violations and as such I am not authorized to conduct our meeting with him present."

"Then I suppose that we do not have anything to meet about" Amelia replied, "and until you can get the Lord of Azkaban to agree to these terms then I am afraid that our talks must be postponed."

"I'm afraid that will not be possible" Azkabans' representative shook his head, "I have been informed that if I am unsuccessful then the matter will be given over to Commander Maxwell to resolve."

"Who is Commander Maxwell?" Amelia asked with growing apprehension.

"Commander Maxwell is the head of the combined Azkaban Military" was the short response, "and he is much less reasonable then I am."

"Is that a threat?" Amos Diggory the head of the Department for the Care and Control of Magical Creatures asked.

"No it is not" the envoy sighed, "it is a warning that unless you speak to me then you will be lowering the chance that this can be resolved without bloodshed."

"I'm sure that if you were to inform the Lord of Azkaban of my presence then he would be willing to allow it." Dumbledore cut in hoping to calm things.

"I'm afraid that you are mistaken" the envoy shook his head, "my Lord anticipated that you may wish to attend and he stated that 'should that incompetent old amateur wish to stick his nose in' then I am to break off talks and give the situation over to the military."

"What" Dumbledore asked in shock, "Surely you must be mistaken?"

"I think that it would be best if you were to wait outside Albus" Amelia Bones cut in hoping to diffuse the situation.

"I suppose that I must" Dumbledore nodded, "but I still believe that my presence would be helpful."

"I do not" the envoy ended the conversation, "so would you please leave so that we can resolve this situation."

Looking older then ever, the headmaster of Hogwarts slowly walked out of the room under the gaze of several worried ministry officials and one annoyed Islander.

"Was that really necessary?" Amelia asked Azkabans' envoy after Dumbledore's departure, "Albus Dumbledore has provided needed council to the ministry for generations."

"It was my Lord Azkaban's orders and therefore not to be questioned" the Islander said ending the conversation, "as I have said before we still have the opportunity to end this without bloodshed but that all depends on the people in this room being reasonable."

"Is it really that serious?" Amelia asked taking the ministry's lead role, "after all the incident at the Hospital is an internal matter and of no concern to the Lord of Azkaban."

"Are you all really that ignorant?" the Islander shook his head, "it appears that his Lordship was correct in removing Dumbledore if you are the results of his teaching methods."

"Now see here" one of the department heads stood up, "I have had enough of your insults and I will not have you besmirching the name of Albus Dumbledore . . ."

"Sit down" the envoy interrupted in a voice far different from the one he had used with the reporters, "and allow me to give you a small history lesson, in the Covington treaty the Lord of Azkaban agrees to cease his raiding, in return he is given several concessions, among them is the agreement that all prisoners of the wizarding world are to be placed into his custody for judgment and that all magical prisons, aside from the one on Azkaban are to be limited to temporary holding areas only."

"But surely you cannot place so much weight on such an archaic document" the same troublesome head asked, "it is over three hundred years since the agreement was made."

"Quiet" Amelia Bones hissed to her colleague, her time in Magical Law Enforcement giving her more then a passing familiarity with the Island and its customs.

"Thank you Madame Bones" the Islander nodded to her before continuing his lesson, "in return there were several concessions made by his Lordship, among them was the agreement that should his Lordship disappear for more then a few years then temporary custody of his Island is to be given over to Ministry control."

"Yes I am familiar with that clause" Bones nodded, "what about it."

"Its removal is his Lordship's first condition" the envoy started, "after his return he saw how much his land and people had suffered under Ministry control and has resolved that the situation will never be given a chance to occur again."

After Three hours of heavy talks, the Island Diplomat walked down the steps of the Ministry building to be greeted by a large crowd of reporters.

"Good afternoon everyone" he nodded to them with a nervous smile, "I didn't expect that you would still be here."

"How did the talks go?" asked random reporter #259.

"I believe that they went quite well" the man nodded to them, "despite opposition by some of your officials I believe that we have been successful in preventing bloodshed, now if you will excuse me I must report back to his Lordship on our success."

Looking distastefully at the Azkaban guards who had begun to surround him he signaled his permission to activate the portkey and allowed himself to be returned to the Island.

The second that the group arrived on the Island his mask of contempt fell and he looked at them with honest gratitude, "thanks for keeping an eye on me, and I will be sure to tell Maxwell that your performance in front of the reporters was nothing short of masterful."

"Thank you sir" the young Lieutenant replied with a neutral expression, "we are happy to help in any way."

"Now if you will excuse me" he nodded to his escorts, "I must go and report to his Lordship on how my meeting went."

Walking up to the Lord of Azkaban the diplomat took a deep breath and announced his presence, "I'm back from the ministry my Lord."

"How did it go?"

"Quite well my Lord, I was able to get everything you wished for as well as several extras" the man smiled, "I held the position of strength and after they realized that most of their objections disappeared."

"Good" Harry nodded, "thank you for doing this for me and for the Island."

"I live to serve my Lord" the man gave a deep bow before he took his leave.

"Well that's one mess sorted out" Harry sighed after the diplomat had left, "only another thousand to go, what do you two think we should deal with next?"

While Harry and his girls pondered their next move, elsewhere, in the halls of the Malfoy residence Draco was also considering his future prospects and after a bit of consideration, he came to a rather shocking conclusion, that it was possible that the Dark Lord could be defeated.

It was a thought that rocked the very foundations of his belief structure, from his earliest days he had always believed that the Dark Lord would win and that the world would be made a better place as a result.

Shoulders dropping he realized that the Dark Lord had been defeated once and could be defeated again and he wondered to himself at what he should do to prepare for that possible situation, how he could insure the survival of the Malfoy name and fortune so that they could be used in future conflicts to destroy the muggle menace and to bring about the 'purifying' of all wizarding bloodlines.

Rubbing his eyes Draco searched his memory to find a way that he could weather out a possible defeat while still remaining a faithful and loyal follower of the true way and its leader the Dark Lord.

It came to him in a flash and he nearly discarded it due to his distaste, it would not be easy or pleasant but, he believed that it would stand a good chance of success.

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AN: I can't find my red pepper, don't see how that has anything to do with any of you but that's why I am writing instead of eating. Neville and his parents are together again, I intended to have a conversation between the three of them but then I figured that their probably won't be much conversation beyond crying for a while, then the Longbottoms will be more interested in hearing all about Neville then they will be about revealing their ordeal, also thought about giving Neville a brother or sister but I decided not to. The diplomat is using the 'mad man' theory of diplomacy, which is in essence that you may deal with a reasonable person like me or if talks break down then you can deal with him, an he is crazy and would like nothing better then to kill you all. In regards to the Diplomat and some of the things he said, by law and custom Ambassadors speak with the authority of their head of government this means that when ever he says something then it can be regarded as something that Harry said. Almost included all of the talks between the Diplomat sent by Azkaban and the interim government, but I decided that while I would find it quite interesting, most of you would not. In the case that you were wondering, Draco is not turning good he is preparing for the worst in the same way that Nazis did during and after World War II.

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I would also like to thank my new beta Aphy Snape for looking over this and correcting so many of my mistakes.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews, some replies are below.

Meanthis - Heh

The collected students of Hogwarts watched in shock yesterday as a group of heavily armed Aurors arrested the Headmaster on charges of possession of controlled substances. Also arrested was the school's potion master Severus Snape on charges of manufacture of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and public indecency. As their crimes were committed in a school zone, then should they be convicted their sentences will be doubled.

DF-default – I did?

Khadon – interesting idea, but Dumbledore had no clue of what was happening.

Shadowed Rains – Sorry but this is a stupid incompetent Dumbledore fic not an evil one, heh.

athenakitty – Hermione has no official duties, unofficially she has a great deal of influence over Harry. Not too many, less then one hundred and probably less then fifty, will have to explore this in the future if I have the chance. Heh, yep. He has already been reunited and they are mentally alert. Very soon, don't know how large a part that they will play in the story. If he did then he would have the sudden urge to move to India and become a hermit in the Himalayas. The Ghost is very weary of his wife . . . she's scary. Don't know, toying with the idea of keeping a double life through out the whole of the story. Yep. Quite a few, while the majority left (say 60 give or take a few points) a large number stayed loyal. Yes, and that is a very major plot point later in the story. Dumbledore had no knowledge at all about the status of Neville's parents.

Lady FoxFire – Have not decided, have a way to get him out of the veil but I do not know if I will use it.

David305 – oops

zeynel – He had no clue

Lord Dragonbane – In an earlier part Harry said that his people were to be outside of the whole house game.

bellashade – Oops, forgot to explain the acronym. The answer is below and copied from one of my reviews as they did a better job then I would have.

Stryker MGS – Thanks for writing the explanation that I forgot to, copied it below.

SOFA is an acronym for Status Of Force Agreement. When an outside force is being stationed within an allied nation's territory, an agreement has to be made on the status of the soldiers stationed there. Who tried them on crime? Are they exempt from any limitations of mobility or curfew the nation may have? That sort of thing.

japanese-jew – Several guards to every prisoner and the only times he was somewhat free he was drugged out of his mind.

Drake Smythe – Harry did have a lot of people keeping an eye on him, he also is a bit more of a public figure then most of the prisoners. No plans to give Harry a godmother, at least not a living one though that could change if the thought strikes me. To you as well.

MortyM – Do plan on his return towards the end of the story.

blah – What are you talking about? If you are referring to this portion of the chapter where I reply to the reviews, then you are wrong, this is not against any rule on

Traveller – Camouflage

Von – Glad you like it, thanks for the ideas they gave me some possible future scenes.

"Can't you guys just give me a little time to myself?" Harry besieged his ever present bodyguards, "I am going to spend some time on the beach and I do not want any guards to accompany me."

"Yes my Lord" random guard number three agreed, "all you had to do is ask."

"Alright then" Harry nodded shooting them a suspicious glance, "I'm going to the beach now."

"Have fun my Lord" random guard number 4578 nodded to him.

Disappearing with a loud 'pop' Harry was off to his long awaited vacation.

The next morning, Harry left his hotel room passing the ugliest maid that he had ever seen, so ugly that she looked a lot like one of his male body guards, right down to the mustache . . . shaking his head, Harry continued his journey to the beach through the lobby filled with people trying to hide behind their upside-down newspapers and past the heavily armed Hot Dog vender to a beach filled with pale figures in dark bathing suits.

"What exactly is going on here" Harry asked the head of his body guard who just happened to be sun bathing a few feet away.

"What?" the man asked in confusion, "oh my Lord, what are you doing here?"

"That is precisely the question I was going to ask you" Harry asked through clenched teeth.

"Well my Lord after you left without us" the man began.

"Yes . . ." Harry prompted

"We realized that we suddenly had time for a vacation so we all decided that if a beach was good enough for the Lord of Azkaban then it was good enough for us."

"So the fact that you all just decided to come here to this beach out of all the beaches in the world, the same beach that I decided to vacation at was just a coincidence?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"Yes my Lord" the man agreed, "we weren't the only ones either."

"What do you mean" Harry asked slowly, not wanting to hear the answer.

"Hi Harry" a feminine voice spoke from behind him, "what a coincidence that you decided to come to this beach."

Six months later Harry took another vacation and this time his guards couldn't use the same excuses that they used last time.

Trudging through the desert Harry took in the smell of the wilderness and the sound of silence as he . . . as he watched a company of Azkaban infantry set up camp.

Walking up to one of the men he asked in a false calm, "what exactly are you doing here?"

"Training Sir"

"What kind of training"

"Army training Sir"

"And why are you training in Outer Mongolia?"

"Were better to train then outer Mongolia sir" the guard asked innocently, "it allow us to gain familiarity with the landscape in case of any possible future conflict."

"With the Mongolians" Harry asked in a voice laced in sarcasm.

"Yes sir."

"I give up"

Wren Truesong – Ii you Doitashimashte

Eblis – 1) Looks like the story is headed in that direction

2) Don't believe so

3) Heh, I may

4) Mostly to break the mould


	24. Confessions

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, other people do.

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Confessions

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Taking a deep breath, Draco grabbed a handful of Floo powder and prepared himself for the performance of a lifetime.

"Professor Dumbledore, can you hear me?"

Albus looked up from his desk upon hearing the voice, walking towards his fireplace, he was surprised to see the tearful visage of one of his students.

"If you can hear me please answer, I . . . I don't think I can do this without you."

"I'm here Draco" the kindly old man looked at the frightened boy, "and everything will be ok."

"Thank you Sir" the relief on the boys face was clearly visible, "I . . . I had something terrible happen to me today."

"I'm sure it couldn't be that bad could it" he smiled at the boy, "why don't you tell me all about it and we'll see what can be done about it."

The boy's lower lip quivered, "It's the worst thing that could have happened, earlier today I was taken somewhere by some of my father's friends and then . . ."

"And then" Albus prompted fearing the worst.

"And then" the boy composed himself, "I was taken before 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named' and given a choice."

"I see" Albus let out a breath.

"I'm sorry Sir, I didn't want to do it but I was afraid" the boy sobbed, "and now the guilt is so much that I just want to die, maybe it would have been better if I weren't such a coward and said no."

"Draco" the old man prompted, "what did they make you do?"

"They said that I had a choice I could take the 'Dark Mark' and live or I could refuse and die" the boy began to speak in a dull tone, "then they told me that their would be an initiation and they brought in a little muggle girl and then . . . and then" the boy began to cry.

"It's ok Draco you don't have to continue" the old man said gently, "I'm afraid that I can guess what happened next."

"I want to turn myself in Professor" Draco sobbed, "I don't deserve to be free."

"If you did that then you would never have a chance to put things right" Dumbledore said gently, "would you like that chance Draco."

"You would give it to me?" Draco asked in wonder, hope coloring his voice for the first time.

"Yes Draco I would, but I can only give redemption to those who want it."

"I want it Sir" Draco nodded, "but after what they made me do, I don't deserve it."

"I'll be the judge of that Draco" Dumbledore favored him with a grandfatherly smile, "how would you like to keep me informed of the Dark Lord's movements."

Draco smirked to himself after the old fool's image faded from his fire, in one fell swoop he had insured his survival in the event of another defeat and at the same time increased his value to the Dark Lord; in one move he had proved to the world why the Hat had placed him in Slytherin.

On Azkaban Island a meeting of a different sort was currently taking place.

"Herbology" Alice Longbottom was impressed, "I always wanted to have a garden but I was never able to get it to grow."

"I could help you with that mum" Neville smiled up through her arms, since their first meeting she had taken every opportunity to hold him, "that is if you'd like."

"Of course I would Neville" she beamed down at him, "I'm so proud of you for breaking our terrible Herbology grades."

Watching it all was Neville's Gran, her face looked to be carved in stone though the corner of her mouth would occasionally twitch up at some of the more touching statements.

Slowly in ones and twos, tears began to leak down the old woman's face and she felt a profound sense of sorrow.

It wasn't that she wasn't happy to have her children back, but their return spelled the end of her time with Neville, it had been hard enough to send him off to school but at least she had had the holidays to look forward to.

Sighing she steeled herself; she had known that he would be leaving her soon but she had allowed herself a bit more time to prepare.

Seeing his mother's tears, Frank Longbottom walked over to her, "mum, what's wrong."

"You should be very proud of Neville" the old woman began, "he and Harry Potter, along with some of the other Hogwarts students were able to duel several Death Eaters to a stand still and I am told that among their opponents were the animals that first put you and Alice in the Hospital and You-Know-Who himself."

"Mum I . . ."

"He has a toad named Trevor who is always getting lost but you can usually find it behind some piece of furniture" the old woman began to sob, "I'll be sure to prepare a list of his favorite foods and I think that he could use a bit of your help in potions, I've tried but it was never one of my best subjects."

"Mum what's wrong" Frank held his sobbing mother awkwardly, never had he seen her so vulnerable.

"It's just that I'll miss him so much" she told her son through the tears, "promise me that you'll have him visit me often."

"Mum" he asked coming to a snap decision, "if it wouldn't be too much of an imposition, would you mind living with us? I don't know if we could get along without you in this strange new world and if you add getting to know Neville on top of that . . ."

"I suppose I could" the woman nodded, regaining a bit of her composure, "it would be the right thing to do wouldn't it, having me around to help with the details while you three got to know each other?"

"It would be a great favor to me if you would agree to it" Frank nodded to her, "that is, if you wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not Frank" she favored her son with one of her rare smiles, "after all we are a family and families draw together in times like this."

The touching family moment was interrupted by the sound of a throat clearing behind them, "I am sorry for the intrusion but if I may have a moment of your time."

Turning they beheld a pretty young girl of about Neville's age with very familiar features, "I am Becky, my Lord Azkaban's assistant and I have been ordered from his side to give you a bit of news pertaining to your situation."

"What is it dear" Alice asked with a smile.

"My Lord Azkaban has sent a representative to the Ministry and I have been informed that the Ministry has agreed to compensate you for your illegal imprisonment to the sum of several million Galleons."

"I see" Alice nodded squinting at her as if deep in thought, "was that all?"

"My Lord Azkaban has also extend the offer that you may use these chambers, or if they prove to be insufficient others in the castle, for as long as you wish."

"Thank you Becky" Frank smiled to the girl, "and convey our thanks to the Lord of Azkaban also."

Becky nodded and began to leave the room when a voice stopped her, "one moment please" Alice's voice spoke up from behind her, "you look so familiar, did I know your parents?"

The young girl froze in mid step for what seemed to be an eternity, "yes" she said in a dull voice, "you knew my parents."

The next sound in the room was that of the door closing as she made her exit.

"Did you see her reaction?" Alice asked her husband, "I wonder why she would react that way to such a simple question."

"Remember the times dear" Frank replied with a grimace, "she was probably orphaned by Death Eaters and your question probably brought up some bad memories."

Becky walked briskly down the hall struggling to keep her face in its customary icy mask, throwing open the door to her Lord's private apartments she walked quickly across the room to the door of his bed chamber.

Harry looked up from his desk and was shocked to see his assistant frozen in the entrance way, "Becky" he took a closer look, "what's wrong?"

It was as if a dam had burst and tears began trailing down the young girls face, "I'm sorry my Lord I should have told you sooner but I kept telling myself that it didn't matter and I was afraid that you would hate me."

"It will be ok" Harry tried to comfort the girl awkwardly, "whatever it is I'm sure it can't be that bad."

"It's my parents my Lord" the girl looked desperate, "my Parents, if you find out who they are then I'm afraid that you'll hate me."

"I'm sure that nothing as trivial as that could cause any change in my feelings for you" Harry replied kindly, "now why don't you tell me their names so that we can put this silliness behind us."

Becky's features froze and a lifetime of training prevented her from refusing to answer her Lord's question, in a dull voice she began to speak, "my mother's name is Bellatrix LeStrange and my father's name is Roldolphus LeStrange, these are the same LeStranges that tortured Neville's parents and my mother is the woman who murdered your godfather."

"Oh" Harry replied in shock and he stood silent.

After a moment the frightened look on his assistant's face snapped him out of his thoughts and he opened his arms, "Becky come here."

In a flash the sobbing girl was across the room and in his arms, "I'm sorry my Lord, I'm so sorry."

Shushing her, he tightened his embrace, "It's ok Becky, I don't hold it against you, it will all be ok" he reassured the smaller girl, picking her up he walked across the room and sat himself in one of his oversized chairs and ensured that the smaller girl was comfortable in his lap before he continued comforting her.

After a time Becky's sobs trailed off and snuggling up to Harry's shoulder she fell asleep.

Carefully working his way out from under the sleeping girl so as not to wake her, Harry tip toed out of his room in search of his best friend.

"Hermione" Harry's soft call drew the young witch's attention as he walked into the room, "there is something I need to talk to you about."

"What is it Harry?" Hermione asked with a small frown, "and why isn't Becky with you?"

"It's about Becky that I want to talk to you about" Harry said, taking a deep breath, "I just learned something about her past and I wanted to talk to you about it."

"I see" Hermione replied evenly, "and what did you discover."

"It's kind of personal Hermione" Harry said with a frown, "and I think that it would be better if you heard it from her yourself."

"So you aren't mad that her parents are the LeStranges" Hermione asked taking a chance.

"Of course not" Harry looked indignant, "why would I be?"

"Well I was afraid that you would hold a grudge because of some of the things that they have done over the years" Hermione replied evenly.

"Becky had nothing to do with any of that" Harry replied in a sincere voice, "and . . ." Harry trailed off.

"And?" Hermione prompted gently.

"And she's Sirius' cousin" Harry answered quietly, "one of the last of the Black family and one of the few on our side."

"I suppose that's one way of looking at it" Hermione nodded and then shot Harry a heart warming smile, "and I am proud of you for being mature enough to see it that way."

"Thanks Hermione" Harry replied, blushing lightly at the compliment, "I did have something else that I wanted to ask you."

"What was that?"

"Well after Becky told me about her parents she started crying and now she's asleep on one of my chairs"

"Really" Hermione answered slowly, "and what is it you wanted to ask me?"

"Could you help me move her to her room and prepare her for bed?"

"Of course I can" Hermione gave a business like smile, "wouldn't want her angry at you for undressing her."

"Um" Harry began slowly, "I don't think she would mind too much."

"Do tell" Hermione's voice was even, "and why do you think that she wouldn't mind."

"Well" Harry said turning bright red, "she told me that one of her duties is to . . ." he trailed off before making another attempt, "lets just say that there is a reason that her room connects to mine."

Repressing the urge to laugh Hermione forced her voice to remain even, "then I don't see why you need my help" the panicked look on Harry's face broke through her control and a giggle forced its way through her lips, "of course I'll help you Harry."

"Thanks Hermione" Harry let out a relieved sigh, "I don't want her to be uncomfortable but . . ."

"But it would have been embarrassing" Hermione completed, "not to mention unfair to poor Becky to do it when she wasn't awake to enjoy it."

The return of Harry's panicked look was enough to set off a new round of giggling; sometimes he was just too easy to tease.

So as not to wake the sleeping witch, the two were careful to remain silent as they entered the room.

Walking to the girl, Harry lifted her as gently, as he would a piece of fine china, and slowly carried her into her bedroom.

"Could you make her comfortable Hermione?" Harry asked after placing his assistant onto her bed then turned to leave, "I'll be in my room."

Choosing not to speak, Hermione just gave him a slow nod before she walked up to the younger girl.

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AN: Sorry this part was delayed, but I had to fly do Virginia due to a death in the family and I was away from my computer. About Dumbledore's conversation with Draco, I think that Dumbledore is always looking to see the best in people and that he is reluctant to believe that people would be evil if given an alternative. Quite a bit of angst in this part, I would guess that I wrote it this way because of my mood but I do not know, hope that it did not negatively affect the story. Lots of OMAKEs so be sure to look through the review section.

I would like to thank my beta Aphy Snape, without whom this chapter would be filled with mistakes.

Thanks for the reviews; replies to a few are below.

Kenny – He is not fighting with Dumbledore, he is keeping his people safe from an amateur.

Lord Marskl – Glad you think so

uten – Oops, grammar has never been one of my strengths, I am working on it and trying to improve.

Lady FoxFire –Close but no

Lunatic Pandora1 – Heh

The Dark Lord smiled as the final piece fell into place, before him was a scale model of his Dark Fortress (AKA his father's house) made entirely out of playing cards.

Cackling evilly (and quietly so as not to disturb the cards) he prepared to call in his servants, planning to have them kidnap the head of the Wizard Book of World Records commission so that his name could go down through history as the best constructer of houses out of playing cards.

Hearing the door open behind him, the Dark Lord watched in Horror as a stray gust of wind destroyed his masterpiece.

"You summoned me master"

"Wormtail" the Dark Lord said in false calm, "CRUCIO"

Hair Brush User – There are many kinds of trust, Harry would trust Hagrid with his life but not his secrets.

Treaty OMAKE

The new Minister sighed as he prepared to meet the Lord of Azkaban, "Is this really necessary," he asked one of his aids, "it's so humiliating."

"It is in accordance with the new treaty Minister that you must wear a giant chicken costume in all meetings with the Lord of Azkaban or his representatives."

"Can't we just skip the house elf running ahead presenting me as the King of Cretans, or the team of Aurors whose sole job is to kick me every five minutes?"

"Afraid it would violate the treaty Minister."

Bobboky – Mmmm Goat cheese, could be 'red pepper gnomes?'

Drake Smythe – When will people stop figuring out future plot points, good job though I don't believe that the big points have been revealed.

Kota Dawndragon – Heh, lots of OMAkEs in this chapter

In ones and twos they gathered; bearing torches, pitchforks, and other implements they began to march.

The receptionist at St. Mungos was an experienced woman, throughout her thirty year career she had seen it all from Dark Wizard attacks to Dark Chockalott attacks nothing could surprise her . . . until now.

"What can I do for you?" she asked the assembled mob of angry people gathered in front of her desk.

"We're here to visit one of the patents and we were wondering if you could direct us to her room" one of the larger and more dangerous looking men replied innocently.

"Now see here" she loomed over them, "while a patent is in St. Mungos then they are under our protection and if you wish to harm them then you will have to go through me first" her eyes flashed as she pulled out her wand.

"Oh" the man's shoulders dropped and he turned to address the remainder of the mob, "looks like we'll have to wait until they let Umbridge out before we can discuss our opinions about her teaching methods."

Pitchforks dropped and torches were put out as a sense of disappointment fell over the crowd.

"Wait" the receptionist's urgent cry halted their exit, "would that be the former Headmistress Umbridge?"

"Yes" the large man agreed, "we just wanted to talk with her about something."

"Oh" she nodded, "in that case room 245."

"Thank you" he smiled, "but why the sudden change of heart?"

"My niece goes to Hogwarts"

Elsewhere Harry was noticing how empty the streets seemed to be, "do you know where all the towns' people are Becky?"

"I believe that they are at a farm implement convention" upon seeing Harry's confused look she elaborated, "learning new and exciting ways of using pitchforks, bonfires, that sort of thing."

"Oh" Harry nodded, "sounds boring, but remind me to go next year if it would make the people happy."

"I'll make a note of it" Becky smiled and hoped that they would come through with the pictures.

lord of wolves – Don't worry, I have a plan for that.

The Slice – Good point, may have to use this

Tilly Jeanne – Your are correct, Harry's eyes also reflect light and I forgot to mention that, or I was going to use it for dramatic effect later (I think, cant remember) so thanks for bringing it up.

snifflers unite – Stupid spell checker, have a beta now so it should be fixed in the later chapters.

Lord Silvere – Didn't think you were, one of the reasons I was so quick to review. Can't wait to see more of your story and I'm glad you enjoy mine

midnight.musings – She's fairly close to Ginny's age

Kentorai Matsuko – No crossovers, glad you like my story.

TierraL – Glad you like this story, I do have an idea for a scene where Harry hears some of Dumbledore's justifications but I do not know where or how I am going to include it. If you want faster updates then check my yahoo group, they normally get faster updates and currently they are getting an AU of Caer Azkaban that I am not going to post on for quite sometime.


	25. I Like it Here, I Love it Here, I finall...

Disclaimer: I do not own this, it is owned by other people who have a battery of rabid attack lawyers.

* * *

I Like it Here

I Love it Here

I finally found a Home

* * *

"Good morning Harry" Becky smiled down at him from her customary position by the side of his bed, "and how are you this morning." 

"Good morning Becky" he replied with a grin, "and how is my favorite assistant today?"

"I'm not sure Harry" Becky replied in a puzzled voice, "I wasn't aware you had more than one assistant, but if you will give me a few minutes then I'm sure I can provide you with an answer."

"I was talking about . . ." he noticed the corner of her mouth twitching in amusement, "why you little."

The twitching turned into full blown laughter, "I'm sorry Harry but I just could not resist."

"It's fine Becky" Harry replied, "but now I'm going to have to find a way to get you back."

"You may try my Lord"

"So, what's on the agenda today Becky?" Harry asked with a grin.

"The Warden has requested that you spare a few moments of your time to look over some of the new security measures" Becky said after a few moments of checking, "it may also be a good idea to get in some dueling practice or to do some studying."

"Alright" Harry nodded, "I suppose that it has been a while since I got any practice in, and inform the Warden that we shall be over after lunch."

"As you command" Becky replied absently as she began making notations in her ever-present book.

"One more thing" Harry's manner turned serious.

"Yes Harry" she looked up quizzically.

"Are you alright?" he favored her with a concerned look, "after last night I mean."

"Yes I am Harry, thank you for your concern."

"Good because I want you to know that I value you for who you are, and some accident of birth will not change that" grabbing her hand he took a deep breath, "besides you are my godfather's cousin, a cousin that I believe he would have very much wanted to meet."

"Thank you Harry" a few stray tears made their way down her face, "hearing that from you means a lot to me."

Getting out of his bed, Harry gave her another hug, "cancel some of the study time and set aside a few hours for you me and Hermione to talk."

"Alright" she said with a hiccup, "will that be all?"

"Why don't you get Hermione and the three of us can have a bit of time together before breakfast" Harry smiled at her, "and see that we have a bit of time together after as well."

"Yes my Lord" Becky replied with a face splitting grin, "As you command."

Harry smiled as he watched his assistant leave the room; he was unsure as to why but for some reason the thought of spending time around his two girls gave him a warm feeling.

Getting dressed in what he privately referred to as his 'Lord Azkaban Uniform,' He stepped out into the corridor to meet with the other two members of his little group.

"Becky said that you wanted to spend some time alone with us before breakfast?" Hermione's voice asked in warm tones.

"I figured that after yesterday's revelation that the three of us could use some time together" He smiled at her, "besides, there is nothing in the world that I'd rather do."

"We feel the same way" Becky added causing the three of them to share a smile.

The next several hours were some of the happiest that Harry could remember in a long time, for a time he could forget that he was the Lord of a small island nation, he could forget the prophecy, and he could forget the world and pretend to be a normal teenager without any real responsibilities.

"It is time to visit the prison Harry" Becky's regret filled voice signaled the end to their time together, "Though with your permission I would like to schedule another of these gatherings in the future."

"Excellent idea Becky" Harry turned to Hermione, "that is if you have no objections?"

Hermione suddenly found herself being regarded by a pair of warm green eyes, "not at all Harry, not at all."

Regretfully the group separated, Hermione traveling the familiar route to the library and the other two walking to an exit in order to meet the carriage.

As he snapped his fingers to summon his coach, Harry marveled at the changes that had occurred over the summer; he had gone from an angry young man with no control over his destiny to the Lord of a small nation that controlled the destiny of thousands.

Absently motioning Becky to enter the carriage ahead of him, Harry spent much of the trip lost in thought.

It was a series of sudden turns that brought Harry back to the present and looking out the window he realized that they had nearly reached the prison.

As the coach slowed to a stop, Harry immediately jumped up in a futile attempt to beat his assistant to the door, losing by mere seconds, he did not fail to notice the smirk adorning her face as she opened the door before he reached it.

Stepping out of his carriage, Harry was met by the warden and several guards in full regalia.

"I thank you for taking the time to visit us your Lordship" the Warden nodded to him, "I think that you will be quite pleased by some of the measures that we have put in place."

"I'm sure I will be" Harry was a bit bemused, "shall we start?"

"Of course my Lord" the Warden nodded, "as you can see the prison has been surrounded by several concentric rings of walls and fences, between these walls are several paths on which we are running roving patrols and three mine fields."

"Mine fields?" Harry asked a bit surprised.

"Yes my Lord, a mine is a muggle explosive that is buried and . . ."

"I know what mines are" Harry interrupted, "Please continue."

"The main wall is topped topped by electrified strands of concertina wire and there are a series of check points that one must go through to reach the main gate."

"I didn't see any check points"

"The guards all opened them upon recognizing my Lord's carriage"

"See that they stop me in the future" Harry replied after a moment of thought, "security like this only works if it applied to everyone."

"Yes my Lord" the Warden nodded as he made a mental note to enact the order, "around the perimeter we have emplaced several 35 mm air defense revolving cannons to insure against any possible outside threats."

"What about detection?" Harry asked, becoming interested in the various measures that had been emplaced at his orders.

"We have dropped several 'sonar buoys 'around the island to detect any incoming ships and a RADAR dish is in the process of being constructed to detect any intrusions from the air."

"And on the ground?"

"Several motion and pressure detectors have been placed"

"Excellent" Harry nodded, "shall we take a look at the prison?"

"Yes my Lord" the man agreed, "if you will just place your hand on this pad . . ."

"What does this do?" Harry asked eyeing the strange object.

"It is a device that verifies my Lord's identity using several magical and muggle techniques" the Warden answered proudly, "it's one of the few measures that is a mix of muggle and magical techniques, many of the other items are either strictly magical or strictly muggle."

"Such as" Harry's eyebrows raised in interest.

"Such as the detection charms verses the motion detectors" the Warden smiled, "or the wards verses the electronic locks."

"Electronic Locks" Harry blinked, "I thought that electronic devices wouldn't work around strong concentrations of magic."

"Normally they wouldn't my Lord' the Warden looked like a child on Christmas morning, "but some of our muggle workers have discovered that the electronic equipment that had been 'hardened' against EMP would still function."

"I see" Harry nodded, "please continue."

"Yes my Lord" the Warden checked his notes, "due to security concerns we will not be going into the prison but it has been reorganized into three sections on the advice of our muggle consultants."

"Could you give me a bit more detail?" Harry asked mildly.

"Of course my Lord, the first section is for prisoners that are of minimum risk to the guards and other prisoners and one of the muggle consultants has suggested using these prisoners as a source of labor menial tasks such as to keep the prison clean" the warden took a breath, "the second section is for prisoners of moderate risk such as smugglers and black marketers, and the third section are for prisoners of maximum risk such as Death Eaters."

"Excellent work" Harry nodded in satisfaction, "tell your staff that they are a credit to the Island and that I am proud of them."

"Thank you my Lord" the Warden straightened up visibly pleased, "we are of course in the process of putting into place several more security features but we wished to show you the first completed stages."

"As I said before, you have done an absolutely marvelous job."

"We live to serve my Lord"

Harry took one last look around the prison yard before stepping into his carriage for the ride back to the castle.

As Harry was leaving the prison, a rather interesting conversation was about to occur at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Strolling through the halls of Hogwarts was a sight so terrifying that had classes been in session the students would panic, screaming the phrase 'there's two of them' and causing anarchy to rule.

Strolling through the halls of Hogwarts was the Lord of Azkaban's Potions mistress . . . a woman who looked quite a bit like Hogwarts' transfiguration professor.

Her mission was quite simple; she was to speak with Hogwarts' Potions Master in an attempt to lessen his hostility towards their Lord.

Rapping gently on the door to his quarters she waited and prepared herself for what she assumed would be one of the more unpleasant conversations of her life.

"Come in" Snape's voice barked out rudely.

"Good evening Potions Master Snape"

"Who are you?" Snape replied with just a hint of politeness, the use of his proper title giving him pause.

"I am Potions Mistress Winters and I have a few matters that I wished to discuss with you."

"Of course" Snape replied brightening at the thought of an intelligent conversation with a colleague, "have a seat, can I get you anything?"

"Thank you and no" Winters replied, a bit surprised by the man's behavior.

"Forgive me but before we begin our conversation, there is one thing that I wanted to ask" the Potions Mistress began in a mild tone, "I was wondering why a man of your ability was teaching children?"

Snape's shoulders dropped, "That question cannot be answered without revealing information that I do not believe you are cleared for, please forgive me."

"Is the information that you are referring to your status as a current Death Eater, or your status as Dumbledore's spy?"

"Yes, both" the man's eyes shot open, "how did you know that?"

"My Lord Azkaban has seen fit to inform those of his inner circle of why he did not choose to lock you in one of his cells after the attack."

"I see" Snape nodded in understanding, "and as you are aware of my background then I may answer your question."

"Excellent" the Islander nodded, "though it is a shame that my Lord Azkaban did not choose to keep you."

"Why" Snape asked in shock and disappointment, "why would you condemn me to that?"

"Because I believe that within a day I could have convinced him to give you over to me" she smiled, "and imagine the potions that two people with our combined abilities could create."

"Yes" Snape agreed in a daze, "it would be wondrous."

"I believe that you were going to answer my question?" she prompted gently.

"Yes" Snape nodded, "it all starts with my decision to join the Dark Lord."

"Why did you do that anyway?" she interrupted, "my research into your character hasn't shown much distaste towards muggle-borns."

"Because of the research opportunities" Snape shot her a shy smile, "he had access to tomes that I couldn't imagine and ingredients that I could never have gotten myself."

"I see"

"After a time I choose to betray the Dark Lord to Dumbledore and he placed me here" Snape smirked, "I suppose that he wanted to keep an eye on me."

"Why not quit?" Winters asked, unable to understand why the man would continue in a job so far below his ability.

"If I quit, it would remove the one thing that makes me valuable to the Dark Lord" Snape smirked, "he no longer has any interest in research, and has recently recruited several competent potion makers."

"I see" she nodded, "I may have a solution to your problem."

"What's that" Snape replied with polite interest, "If you are suggesting that I commit another crime just to be sent to Azkaban . . ."

"Nothing like that" she hastily assured him, "were you aware that the Lord of Azkaban has one of the largest and best sections of rare potions books in his library in the world?"

"I was not" Snape replied with interest, "It must be wonderful having all that material."

"Another fascinating fact is that he has access to ingredients that most masters can only dream about."

"I find myself turning green with envy" Snape replied without a hint of his normal sarcasm.

"And he could also protect you from any reprisals that you might suffer from leaving the Dark Lord" she smiled, "would you be interested in a job?"

In his carriage, Harry's peacefully ride to the castle was interrupted by Becky's face contorting into a rather odd expression.

"My Lord" she started a bit hesitantly, "Potions Mistress Winters has a man that she would like you to hire."

"I have no problems with that" Harry replied absently, curious about Becky's rather odd behavior.

"Um" she fidgeted, "there's just one thing you should know before agree."

"And that is?"

A few minutes later, Potions Mistress Winters nodded in satisfaction when she received her reply.

"Potions Master Snape"

"Please call me Severus" he replied pleasantly, "after all if we are going to be sharing our research . . ."

"Then I insist that you call me Neleba or Nele" she smiled, "his Lordship has reached a decision regarding your employment."

"And" Snape asked in a voice filled with apprehension.

"His Lordship has agreed to provide you with an unused structure on the far side of the Island" the Potions Mistress began, "the only problem is that the location he has in mind is a bit isolated . . ."

"Perfect" Snape gave one of his rare genuine smiles, "a lab free of distractions where I have no responsibilities but those I choose has always been a dream of mine."

"Then it seems we have come to an agreement" she replied returning his smile, "do you need any help packing?"

Hours later, after they had gathered his personal effects, the two Potions Masters approached the imposing stone building that was to serve as Snape's new home and laboratory.

Walking through the front door, Nele was a bit embarrassed by the dark imposing atmosphere, the corners filled with cobwebs, and the faint smell of mildew.

However, before she could comment her attention was drawn to an uncharacteristically joy filled voice at her side.

"It's perfect" finally after many years of searching, Severus Snape had found a home.

* * *

AN: If you can say why the carriage had to make several sharp turns on the approach to the Prison then you get a cookie (my beta got it). Snape may be a bastard but he has ability, in this way I can deal with him in a way that makes him happy (and in a way that doesn't require me to have Harry's bodyguards beat him into a coma for doing something stupid). The other thing is Snape will not suddenly turn nice, nor will he suddenly like Harry. Concertina wire aka Razor wire. EMP, Electro Magnetic, Pulse, the reason that a nuke going off will fry the electronics around the surrounding area. 

Thanks go to my beta Aphy Snape for all the work put into correcting my mistakes, including one rather bad one where my spell checker changed McGonagall into the transformation professor. Thanks also go to userid822000 for coming up with some of the prison security and the theory about electronic devices and magic fields.

"For the last time Hermione I can't do it" Harry replied in exasperation.

Hermione gave a superior smile, "according to 'Azkaban a History' the Lord of Caer Azkaban can shoot fire out his eyes."

"Arg" Harry stormed off.

The second their friend had left the room, the two girls began to giggle uncontrollably, "so Becky, what do you think we should tell him next?"

C. Rose – Hermione knew, Harry did not.

Night-Owl123 – Depends on RL issues, right now it's rather hectic.

midnight.musings – So am I

critic unknown – Glad that you decided to take a chance on this story, this chapter has a bit more Snape then any of the previous ones so I hope that you found it enjoyable.

devilishly dreamy – At the moment it is looking like a three way relationship, though I don't have a clue on how to write it that way.

Lunatic Pandora1 – Heh

"Are you sure that this is a good idea master?" Wormtail whined, "they don't seem particularly fierce, they seem more . . . cute."

"That's the point Wormtail" the Dark Lord cackled with glee, "they are so 'cute' that the public will never allow the Aurors to destroy them, thus bringing me to victory."

"But master" Wormtail tried another argument, "kittens?"

"Cats are natural predators" the Dark Lord looked down at the tiny ball of fur in his hands and began to speak in a rather different voice then his normal hiss, "whose a fierce little monster that's going to topple the Ministry . . . you are."

"Um master" Wormtail was trying not to stare, "after all these years of faithful service, I think I have some vacation time coming so . . ."

"Wormtail" the Dark Lord looked up from his kitten, "CRUCIO."

ashibabi – Heh heh heh, it's all part of my evil plan.

BenRG – Hmmm, hadn't thought of that.

tessa3 – Thank you


	26. Back to School

Disclaimer: I do not own the work which this is based upon.

* * *

Back to School

* * *

Albus Dumbledore sighed in annoyance as he waited for the ferry to arrive, one would think that Harry would trust him enough to allow travel by portkey or floo, but for some unknown reason the boy had insisted that he use that blasted boat.

Forcing himself to remain calm, Albus reminded himself that he was not in a situation that would be helped by anger, that in order for Harry to once again give his trust then these blasted games had to be played.

After what seemed to him to be an eternity, a dense fog began to fall and in the distance he heard the sound of oars meeting water.

Stepping aboard, he handed the boatman his coin and spent the journey to the island in silent contemplation.

He was met at the dock by several unsmiling wizards wearing what he believed to be the uniform of Harry's personal bodyguard.

"Hello gentleman" Albus greeted them with twinkling eyes, "I've come to seek an audience with you Lord."

"Do you have an appointment?" The guard didn't so much as bat an eyelash.

"No" Albus replied with a bit of regret, "I'm afraid that I did not have the time to make one."

"Then I am afraid that I will have to ask you to leave the Island . . . sir."

"I'm sure that if you were to tell Harry that . . ."

"My Lord Azkaban" the guard corrected with just a hint of annoyance, "is a very busy man and he does not have time to drop everything to deal with every roustabout that wishes a moment of his time."

"I see" Dumbledore nodded sadly, "if you would be so kind as to tell him of my presence then I would be happy to wait here until he has a free moment."

The guard whispered into his watch for several seconds, "My Lord's assistant has approved your request, but says that she is unsure of when our Lord Azkaban shall have the time to meet."

"I shall take what I can get" Dumbledore smiled, "so please take me to where I am to wait."

"Alright" the man nodded, "but I am afraid that you will have to go through security first."

"Security?" Dumbledore asked curiously, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well sir" the guard successfully managed to hide a smile, "as you are no doubt aware, we have recently begun hiring muggle specialists to aid us in our program to improve our security."

"Go on" Dumbledore nodded slowly waiting for the bad news.

"Recently we have been training with some muggle security agents and our procedures have changed a bit."

"What agents?" Dumbledore was beginning to feel nervous.

"I believe that they said they were from a . . . airport" the guard nodded to himself, "yes they were airport security agents and thanks to their help we now have a way to clear you through to the secure areas without losing any dignity and respect."

"Oh" Dumbledore nodded relieved, "I was afraid that you would make me do something stupid like say . . . remove my cloak, or fill out a form saying that I did not intend to do any harm to the people of Azkaban."

"I didn't say that sir" the guard smirked, "and to start with I'm going to need you to remove your cloak."

"But I thought you said that there would be no loss in dignity?" Dumbledore asked in surprise, "You said that these 'airport security' people gave you new procedures."

"Never been to an airport huh" the Guard's smirk grew, "and I assure you that my dignity won't suffer at all."

Eight and a half hours later . . . "Well that's all of it sir" the guard smiled, "you'll get your wand and the other magical and or metallic items back when you leave the island."

"And my Robes?" Dumbledore asked wearily, happy to finally reach the end of a rather humiliating and pointless experience.

"I am afraid that they were caught in the conveyer belt on the X-Ray machine and ripped to shreds" the guard shook his head in regret, "I told them that we would have problems with that but they didn't listen."

"I see" Dumbledore nodded.

"Not to worry sir" the guard smiled, "we are currently repairing your robes and we are happy to supply you with a replacement while you wait."

"Thank you" Dumbledore nodded, allowing some of his cheer to return.

"Here you go sir" the guard handed over a set of standard pink and orange striped prison issue robes, "I'm afraid that these were all we could come up with on such short notice."

"Don't worry about it" Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling like mad, "I rather like them."

"Glad that we could provide you with one positive experience" the guard nodded, "but you will have to have a few escorts along so you don't get dragged back to the prison."

"I'll keep that in mind" Dumbledore nodded, "now if we can go to my meeting now . . ."

"Right this way sir" the guard led him through a dizzying array of streets before they came to the castle, "be just a moment before we get to the waiting room, so if you need a rest . . ."

"Thank you, but I assure you that I am just as spry as I was seventy years ago" Dumbledore smiled at the guard.

"If you say so sir" the guard looked somewhat doubtful as he began leading the old wizard through the castle's maze like corridors.

"Professor?" Hermione's shocked voice sounded from behind him, "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, Miss Granger" Dumbledore smiled down at the intelligent young witch, "I came so that I could talk to you and Harry about the upcoming school year."

"One moment" she whispered into the strange watch on her wrist, "come with me please"

She turned to the guard, "thank you but we won't need your services any longer."

"But Miss" the guard protested lightly, "he needs an escort if he is going to wear that uniform."

"I'll provide it" Hermione smiled, "and if that's not good enough for one of the checkpoints then I can always call Harry."

"If that's the way you want it Miss" the guard nodded to her politely, "then I'll return to my post."

"Thank you Miss Granger" Dumbledore sighed, "I fear that were it not for our chance meeting then I would have to wait several hours before I was finally able to meet with Harry."

"You don't know the half of it" Hermione replied, "The guard was leading you to the dungeons."

"But why?" Dumbledore asked in surprise.

"I suspect they were intending to keep you there for a while" Hermione answered in an even voice, "for some reason the guards really seem to dislike you."

"But what have I ever done to them?" Dumbledore was a bit confused, "I've hardly ever had any contact with the Island before Harry's arrival."

"More then you would think" Hermione answered absently.

"What was that, I missed that last bit?" Dumbledore asked with twinkling eyes.

"Nothing important Professor" Hermione shrugged, "among other things, their dislike is based on the way that Harry was treated over the years.

"I see" the old wizard nodded sadly, "what other things?"

"You refer to Harry without the proper amount of respect" Hermione began to list things, "you showed up without first making an appointment, things like that."

"And just what is the right amount of respect?" Dumbledore was becoming fascinated by the conversation, "must I always refer to him as his Lordship?"

"No" Hermione shook her head, "Professor McGonagall calls him Mr. Potter, and they don't seem to mind that" she paused to think.

"Why don't they mind it when you call him Harry?"

"Because I am seen in his company so often and . . ." she blushed.

"Say no more" the old wizard laughed, "it's good to know that despite all that has happened, he's still experiencing all the 'joys' of being an adolescent."

"I suppose" Hermione shrugged, "and here we are" she pushed open a large door to reveal a comfortable sitting room.

"Hello Professor" Harry stood up to meet the Headmaster of his school, "I understand that you had a bit of trouble getting here?"

"Not at all" Dumbledore smiled, "it's been quite educational and I was even provided with a set of these rather stylish robes."

"Good" Harry nodded settling the matter, "what was it you wished to speak about."

"I wished to remind you of the upcoming school year and to inquire as to how you were intending to arrive with the exchange students" Dumbledore gave a benevolent smile, "also, I forgot to ask if you had any special requirements for the 'Azkaban' wing?"

"Ah" Harry smiled, "well to answer your questions; I was going to arrive in my coach, and I shall send someone to look over what you put together and to make any changes."

"Excellent" Dumbledore said with a smile, "would you mind taking young Nymphadora along" he held up his hand, "I am well aware of the fact that she would not add any extra protection, but I believe that she wishes to speak with you about something."

"Not at all" Harry smiled, "I wanted to see her anyway to show her how far I am along with my self transfiguration, and will that be all?"

"Well" Dumbledore paused, "there was just one other thing that I wished to ask about."

"Yes" Harry prompted wearily.

"I was wondering if we could set up a meeting between the two of us sometime in the first week of classes" the old wizard smiled, "that is if you have the time for it."

"Of course" Harry nodded, "and if I do not have the time I will make it."

"I had nothing else I wished to bring up" Dumbledore smiled, "was there anything you wished to talk to me about."

"Two things Professor" Harry smiled, "the first is that I shall be taking a larger support staff along then I had originally intended."

"Why is that" Dumbledore asked, a bit curious.

"Well" Harry began a bit embarrassed, "Hogwarts is a great school but without some private instruction, the exchange students will fall a bit behind and . . ."

"I understand" Dumbledore interrupted, "I would imagine that the requirements are quite different on Azkaban."

"Yes they are" Harry agreed, "The second is that I was asked to deliver this to you."

"What is it?" Dumbledore asked taking a small envelope.

"I'm not sure sir but I can guess" Harry shrugged, "and if my suspicions are correct then I would be happy to provide a substitute for the first week or two."

"Thank you Harry" Dumbledore answered a bit confused, "I shall keep that in mind."

"If there was nothing else" Harry began in a tone of regret, "then I really do have other things to get to."

"I must go as well" Dumbledore nodded, "thank you for seeing me on such short notice."

"Not at all Professor" Harry summoned the guards, "do have a good day."

"Thank you Harry" Dumbledore smiled, "and you as well."

"Sir?" Harry grabbed his earring when he heard the guard's voice.

"Yes" he whispered into his watch.

"Do you want us to take him back to the docks right away or do you wish us to give him a tour?"

"To the docks" Harry replied calmly, "I want him on his way and off my Island."

"Understood"

Harry rocked back in his chair as his lounges slowly emptied, "why must things be so difficult?"

"Because fate hates you" Hermione smirked, "because if it were easy then it wouldn't be worth living."

"I guess" Harry smiled at her, "are all the players ready?"

"Yes Harry" Hermione smiled, "the players are ready and the plan will be set in motion."

"Excellent" Harry gave his best Mr. Burns impersonation.

"I am wondering one thing though."

"Only one thing?" Harry laughed, "What is it?"

"Why are referring to 'the plan' so vaguely?" she raised her eyebrows, "we are sitting here alone, in a room that is checked for bugs, in one of the most secure places on earth."

Harry looked at her in shock, "haven't you ever watched any spy movies? You never go into detail when you're talking about your evil plan."

"So you're doing all this because you never got a chance to play spy as a child?" Hermione asked dryly.

"Well" Harry said defensibly, "you have to admit that it's fun."

"Whatever, Harry" Hermione lost her fight and could no longer contain her giggles.

"Lets find Becky and get something to eat" Harry smiled at his friend and offered his arm, "after all, tomorrow is a big day."

After taking Harry's arm, Hermione smiled, "I'd like that, and lets be sure to keep eating together when we get to Hogwarts."

"But don't we always have our meals together at Hogwarts?" Harry asked obliviously

"That wasn't what I meant" she smirked

"Then what did you . . . oh" he blushed, "I suppose we could do that."

Stepping into his private quarters, Harry was shocked to find that his normal table had been replaced by a much smaller one.

"Hermione and I have discussed things and we have come to the conclusion that a smaller table would be . . . pleasant" Becky smiled nervously, "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all" Harry smiled at the two girls, "it's wonderful."

Taking his seat, Harry felt Hermione knee brushing against his right leg and within moments he felt Becky on his left leg.

They passed the meal with topics of no import and for a brief span of time Harry was allowed to pretend that the outside world no longer existed.

Unfortunately, like all good things the meal soon came to an end and the three of them retired to their respective bed chambers to prepare for their trip to Hogwarts.

Early the next morning, a young Auror named Tonks was waiting for the ferry to Azkaban Island.

Stepping aboard, she mumbled something about not knowing that it was physically possible to wake up before the sun was in the sky, she then closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

"Good morning" a curious voice woke her, "mind if I ask you what you're doing here?"

"Came to escort Harry Potter to school" she looked at him sleepily, "they were supposed to tell you I was coming."

"They did" the guard nodded, "but we didn't expect to see you for several hours."

"Came early so I would have time to get through the security" Tonks shrugged, "after hearing Dumbledore talk about it, I figured that it would be a good idea."

"Ah" the guard nodded in understanding, "there is one major difference between the two of you."

"What's that?" Tonks tried to shake herself awake.

"You have an appointment" the guard smiled, "and he did not."

"So?"

"So" the guard smiled, "we have a spare cot by the stove if you want to catch a few hours of sleep."

"Thanks" she nodded and allowed herself to be led to the cot, "you guys aren't so bad after all."

The guard turned to respond and then stopped, for the young Auror was already fast asleep.

"Wake up" the guard reached down to shake her shoulder, "don't want to be late do you."

"Bhwa" Tonks replied eloquently, "but I just got to sleep."

"Five hours ago" the guard smirked, "we got coffee and soup on the stove if you want it, or I suppose you could go up to the castle and get some real food."

"I'll take the coffee" Tonks sat up, "thanks."

"Anything for a fellow Auror" the guard handed her a cup, "so, is Bones any good?"

"She's ok" Tonks nodded, "wait, you're an Auror?"

"For ten years before coming back to the Island" he nodded, "a lot of Islanders spend a bit of time working for the ministry as an Auror after graduating from the Azkaban Military Academy."

"Really" Tonks looked interested, "like whom?"

"Well do you know . . ." he looked up, "looks like we'll have to continue this conversation another time."

"Why?"

"Because his Lordship's carriage is outside and I don't think that you want to keep him waiting."

Tonks stood up and nervously approached the coach, stepping through the open door she was surprised to see Harry Potter rather then the Lord of Azkaban.

"Morning Harry" she smiled at the boy, "didn't expect to see you."

"Hey Tonks" he greeted the Auror, "figured it would be polite to come get you."

"It was" she smiled, "don't think these old bones could take walking up the hill to the castle again."

"Dumbledore said you had something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Er, yeah about that" she started chewing on her lower lip, "could you tell me what you did to get my coworkers to treat me with a little respect?"

"What?" Harry blinked at her, "afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"Well" she began, "as you may have noticed, I can be a bit . . . clumsy at times."

Harry nodded, "occasionally, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Some of the others in the Department of Law Enforcement have been a bit rude because of it" she smiled weakly.

"Oh" Harry took her hand, "I'm sorry to hear about that."

"But now I've noticed that recently things have gotten a bit better" she smiled, "and when I asked why one of them told me that it was because of you."

"I suppose that being the 'boy-who-lived' is good for something then"

"It's not that" she disagreed, "they knew that we were friends before and it didn't make any difference."

"Well" Harry began slowly, "I can think of one other reason that they may have started treating you differently."

"Yes" Tonks asked eagerly

The carriage rolled to a stop, "looks like we're here."

"Come on tell me what the secret is" Tonks demanded, pinning him to the seat.

"I'll tell you when we get inside" Harry tried to calm her, "ok?"

"Fine" Tonks agreed with a mock pout, "but it had better be good."

"I promise"

"All right then" she took his arm and started walking towards the castle door, "and hurry up, sooner we get inside, sooner I get to learn your secret."

They entered the door and Tonks led him through a dizzying array of passages before stopping, "well?"

"You're lost aren't you?" Harry smirked, "and I'm not saying a word until we meet up with the girls."

"I was only here a few times to deal with the Lord of Azkaban" Tonks defended herself.

"Come on" Harry began walking down one of the corridors, "you actually got us quite close."

Within minutes they were at the door to his apartments, "remember" Harry looked at her seriously, "you can't reveal any of this to anyone."

"I promised didn't I" Tonks frowned in annoyance, "now quit stalling and tell me."

"All right" Harry opened the door, "you just have to wait a few moments."

"But I don't wanna know in a few moments, I wanna know now" she said childishly before following him in.

"You know Hermione and Becky don't you?" Harry asked motioning to the two girls.

"Yes now quit stalling"

"Look at my face" he allowed his features to melt into that of the man that Tonks knew as the Lord of Azkaban.

"Harry you . . ."

"Yes" he agreed, "I am a Metamorphmagus."

Tonks glared at him, "then why do you look like the Lord of Azkaban?" she demanded.

"The same reason I have his personal assistant in my chambers" Harry shrugged, "same reason I sleep in his personal chambers, same reason I ride in the coach, same reason the guards follow my orders . . . are you getting it now?"

"But that's impossible" Tonks shook her head, "the Lord of Azkaban is over a thousand years old."

"Did you ever get the first years to believe some incredible story when you were at Hogwarts?" Harry asked, amused, "it started out as a joke and we just never got around to telling the rest of the world."

"Oh" Tonks replied in a small voice, "I guess that makes sense."

"So I would guess that when your co-workers saw you receive a message from one of the Lord of Azkaban's personal messengers they decided to look past your occasional bouts of clumsiness and see the real you" he smiled at her, "was that all you wanted to know?"

"Yeah, I guess" Tonks was still in a state of shock.

"There was something else I wanted to talk to you about" Harry grinned at the shocked look on her face, "but I suppose that it can wait until you process the information I just gave you."

"Harry" Hermione attracted his attention, "if we don't leave now, then we won't get to Hogwarts in time."

"Have the other coaches picked up the others?" Harry looked at Becky

"They have my Lord" she nodded, "and they should be pulling up behind your own momentarily."

"Then lets go" he smiled as the two girls grabbed his arms, "coming Tonks?"

"Yeah" she began following the threesome, "I suppose"

Just as they got to the carriage, two more pulled up behind it.

The second coach opened, disgorging several guards and other retainers and the third emitted the exchange students that Harry had picked to go to Hogwarts.

"You all know your jobs" Harry looked over the crowd, "so I'm not going to waste time telling them to you, I will say this, you are Islanders, that means that you are the best and the brightest that the world has to offer" Harry dropped his smile, "so act like it."

The students stood a little straighter upon hearing the last portion of his speech and nodded at its ending.

Nodding to the crowd, Harry stepped into the first of three identical carriages and signaled his driver to begin the long journey to Hogwarts.

* * *

AN: In regards to chapter 24, for some strange reason many people believe that Harry already knew about who Becky's mother was, this is untrue, if you look back in the previous chapters you will see that Hermione was the only one that knew and that Harry was never told. About Albus's annoyance in the beginning of the chapter, he is human and he is being treated with considerably less respect then he is accustom to receiving, Harry had nothing to do with this. Think of it this way, a person shows up and demands to visit the head of state without prior appointment, this annoys the security people and if the security people are annoyed then they have a lot of ways of spreading that annoyance around.

As always, I would like to thank my beta Aphy Snape for the tireless work on my behalf, and thanks to Severus Snape for catching another of my mistakes.

Thanks for the reviews, comments below

The following people were correct about the turns

Thor-uk2000, Lady FoxFire, HecateDeMort, LoneWolf5, UVsaturated, Dahlias, Netherlord, Gryphnwng,

Bujiana - Don't know, depends on what happens in later chapters. I will say this, it will get worse before it gets better.

Rosakala – Army Infantry, glad you like it.

bellashade – Heh,

LoneWolf5 – Hmmm, good idea mind if I use this scene or something similar?

athenakitty – Not sure but I believe so. Yes. Yup. They were afraid that their significant others may have been pregnant. Voldie may launch an assault but it would not be a good idea. No plans on when Molly will find out. Harry has no reason to remove the dark mark. The watches. Government officials, Military, Harry's bodyguards. She wants another skilled Potions Master to consult with. Snape's attitude will not change anytime soon, though he may be a bit mellower without having to deal with the children. Heh, I have plans for Draco. Arthur is and continues to be a very scary man. Harry's guards don't want to go back to ministry control.

Harry learns about the birds and the bees.

"I'm supposed to do what?" Harry looked at the two girls in shock, "why didn't anybody tell me any of this?"

"I'm not sure Harry" Becky shrugged, "perhaps they figured that you already knew."

"Ok" Harry was starting to calm down, "but why does it require both of you, I would have thought that you only needed one girl, after all that is the way most marriages work."

The girls froze and shared a look of panic, "Um" Becky began.

"Well" Hermione started with a superior voice, "according to 'Azkaban a History' the Lord of Azkaban . . ."

dead feather – She comes from an Island where the majority of the population is a former Unspeakable, a former Auror, or an excon. Besides, Hogwarts doesn't have the best security in the world. Snape knows enough about what has happened in the last few chapters to know that nobody is going to get him if he has the protection of the Lord of Azkaban.

DarkMagicPracticer – Heh

"And what's this" Harry asked as the tour progressed to a large underground area.

"This is where we keep my Lord's ICBM" the Warden answered proudly, "We can deliver hell to anywhere on earth within two hours."

"That's great" Harry said without much enthusiasm, "but why do I have nuclear weapons."

"Mutually Assured Destruction my Lord" the Warden answered quickly, "it's quit noble really, we are keeping the world a better place by threatening to destroy a large part of it."

"Ok" Harry nodded slowly, "I suppose that I can accept that, but where did you get this thing?"

The warden froze then looked at Harry with an innocent expression, "um . . . Internet."

Ragnorok – I liked it, so I would say that it is good.

wwwendy – Snape has been granted asylum, not citizenship.

Schnuff – All of this security is post Sirius, and it was placed on Harry's orders.

Cattatra – Fortress, Gaelic (if I remember correctly)

Stryker MGS – More security is going in, what Harry saw was just the first phase.

BrattyWitch – The Dark Lord is biding his time, waiting to see what effect the introduction of this new player will have.

bane – Figure in some off camera letters before this point and I shall try to remember to include a few, thanks

texasjeanette – At the moment, Dumbledore thinks that continued association with the 'light' side will cause Draco to suddenly become good, or something along those lines.

JinixianGM – At the moment, I am using my yahoo group in the place of a website, thanks for the offer though.

mashimaromadness – An OMAKE is sort of like an extra little story that may or may not have anything to do with the actual story, hope that makes sense.

Wake Me Up When It's Over – Because there's no justice in the world, I've been looking and looking and I still can't find the recruiting agency that provides super villains with cannon fodder.


	27. Hogwarts

Disclaimer: I do not own the works which this story is based upon.

* * *

Hogwarts

* * *

Sighing as she found an empty compartment, Ginny felt a strange sense of melancholy as she prepared for the journey to Hogwarts.

Ron's transfer to a chess academy in Moscow had left her the sole Weasley at Hogwarts and Azkaban had yet to release its' hold on the other two members of the trio.

It was odd, she reflected to herself, if you had asked her on any of the preceding trips to Hogwarts about her feelings on the departure of her brothers then she would have replied that it was a day she would look forward too, that the day she was the sole Weasley at Hogwarts was a day to celebrate . . . but now, now the castle that had before seemed so warm and friendly was a dark and lonely place.

"Hello Ginny," Luna's airy voice broke the dark thoughts, "do you mind if I sit with you?"

"Not at all Luna," Ginny smiled invitingly, "come on in."

"Where is Harry?" Luna's vacant gaze swept the compartment, "and where are Hermione and Ronald's trunks?"

"Harry and Hermione are still on Azkaban Island." Ginny answered quickly, "and Ron transferred to some chess school in Russia."

"Oh" Luna sounded disappointed, "will we be continuing our defense study group this year then?"

"I don't know Luna I . . ." the door to the compartment opened interrupting her, "hello Neville."

"Hi Ginny, Hi Luna" the slightly pudgy replied looking happier then either girl could remember seeing him, "how are you two doing today?"

"Very well and how about yourself?" Ginny motioned for the boy to sit, "what has you looking so chipper today?"

"I got my parents back" the boy answered with excitement, "and I got to spend the holiday with them and my Gran."

"I forgot about that" Ginny replied with a wince, "congratulations."

"Thanks" a large smile appeared on Neville's face, "do you know if we are continuing the D.A. this year? When Mum and Da saw that I got an O in DADA they were so proud of me, and Gran said that she never had any doubt that I would do so well and that she always knew I was destined for greatness."

"We're not sure Neville" Ginny winced at the look of disappointment that appeared on the older boy's face, "I don't know if Harry and Hermione are returning to Hogwarts this year. . ."

"But I'm sure that we can continue it ourselves if we must," Luna's dreamy voice interrupted, "it will not be easy without Harry but I'm sure that we can do it."

"I suppose so" Ginny nodded thoughtfully, "won't be easy to do without Harry to teach us though."

"I could Owl my Mum and Da about it," Neville added with growing enthusiasm, "I know that they could give us all sorts of things to learn."

"I suppose . . ." Ginny responded slowly, "that it won't be easy but it is possible."

Conversation ceased as the three watched the door open, "Hello Weaslet" Draco sneered flanked by his tow ever present flunkies, "where's Potty? He decide that it was too dangerous to come to school now that the Dark Lord is after him?"

"No he decided that life was relaxing without you buzzing around," Ginny smirked, "and figured that you would be unbearable now that your daddy is in prison."

"Why you" Draco went for his wand only to find his wrist trapped in a large hand.

"Problem?" A large man wearing the grey and black uniform of the Azkaban Military asked them with a raised eyebrow.

"Not at all," Ginny smiled at the familiar figure, "but I didn't expect to see you on this train."

"His Lordship has decided that he would be happier if the express were to arrive at Hogwarts without incident," the large man looked down at the now pale Malfoy with a benevolent grin, "don't you agree?"

Draco looked over to see two other imposing men watching his goons, "Yes."

"Then I think it would be best if you were to go back to your own compartment for the remainder of the trip." The man's smile deepened, "don't you?"

"Yes"

"Good"

The man brought his wrist to his lips as he watched the three junior death munchers slink back to their compartment, "Ferret Goon and Goblin now leaving the Griffins Nest; Spirit, Moon, and Herb are all at condition green."

"Have a good trip." The man gave the three amused Gryffindors one last grin before continuing his rounds.

The remainder of the train ride passed quickly with students coming in ones and twos to ask about the location of Hogwarts' 'Golden Trio' and about the continuation of the D.A.

As the train came to a stop, Ginny looked around the crowded compartment and realized that the loneliness that had haunted her had vanished and that while she may miss the company of her family, the company of her friends would make the pain of separation vanish.

With a new found sense of purpose Ginny stepped off the train and walked to the nearest empty carriage, giving a small grin to both Luna and Neville when they joined her.

The three spent the short ride to the castle quietly plotting the details of the return of the D.A. and by the time they reached the school, the three of them were confident that the rough plan that they had worked out could be successful.

As the three of them walked through the main door they separated and Ginny made her way to an empty spot at the Gryffindor table and looked up to see the headmaster's speech

"Welcome back everyone," the Headmaster looked over his students with a benevolent grin, "and to our new students, I would like to give you a welcome to Hogwarts, the finest wizarding school in Great Britton."

Several of the first years blushed under his kind gaze, "so without further ado, let us start the ceremony and get you into your new houses."

The sorting occurred in much the same way as it had in years past, with several new students going to each house, accompanied by the applause of their new housemates.

"Before we begin" all eyes turned toward the headmaster, "I have some announcements to make."

The Headmaster looked over the assembled students, "as always, all students are forbidden to enter the Forbidden Forest, I would like to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts Instructor, Professor Dawling, who has recently retired from the Ministry's Auror Corps. And while I am on the subject of new professors, I am afraid that I have some bad news, Professor Snape will not be joining us this year . . ."

The Headmaster paused, waiting for the applause and cheers to die down, "he has recently accepted a position as a private researcher for a wealthy patron and, as a result, has regretfully turned in his resignation, though I will be sure to convey to him that he has your support and admiration. While we look for a replacement his classes will be taught by Neleba Winters, Potions Mistress to the Lord of Caer Azkaban." He beamed at the assembled students; finally, I would like to announce the arrival of several exchange students from the Azkaban Military Academy, who have been allowed the pleasure of spending the year with us, I would like all of you to open your hearts and your minds and welcome our guests."

The Headmaster made a sweeping motion with his left arm and the doors of the main entrance burst open, "Welcome, Friends, to Hogwarts."

The students turned as one to look at the main entrance, each hoping to be the first to see the Azkaban Military Academy Cadets. Tensions grew as the sound of marching began to reach the great hall, the booming sound of fifty feet striking the ground as one made it seem as if a hostile giant had found a way to breach the wards that kept the castle safe for thousands of years.

Many of the watching students and staff gasped in shock when they recognized that two of their own were among the first three figures to walk through the doors, in the lead was Harry Potter, clad in a rank-less grey and black uniform of the Azkaban Military, and trailing behind him was Hermione Granger wearing a standard Hogwarts robe, but without any house affiliation.

The cadets, clad in the uniform of the Azkaban Military Academy, marched behind in a neat column of twos, their heads raised high, a visible expression of the confidence that they held in their ability to deal with any trouble to come their way.

Walking to the head of the table that had been set aside for the use of the exchange students, Harry sat and gave a small smile when Hermione took her usual seat by his left side and Becky took hers on his right.

Giving a short nod to Cadet Captain Salibard, commander of the detachment of cadets, Harry began to watch the main hall out of the corner of his eye, eager to see their reaction.

"Take . . . Seats" Salibard commanded after receiving his Lord's permission to start eating.

The collected houses watched the newcomers with undisguised curiosity, whispered rumors and speculation spread from table to table, a few students looked towards the 'boy-who-lived' with undisguised curiosity, and several others favored him with looks of appraisal.

"Whenever you're done Cadet Captain Salibard" Harry spoke up after checking his watch, "I would like to go check out our new quarters."

"Yes Sir" Salibard nodded then gave a meaningful look to his second in command.

"You're all finished" Cadet Sergeant Jilinad fixed her eyes into a fierce glare and let her gaze sweep over the cadets, "I want you maggots to put your forks down and swallow everything you have stuffed in your cheeks."

"Commander Potter," Salibard called to Harry attracting his attention, "It seems that everyone has finished, Sir."

"Good" Harry nodded standing up, "let's go."

"Sir" Salibard jumped to his feet, "Sergeant Jilinad, have the men made ready."

"Yes Sir" Jilinad snapped to attention, "You heard the man, on your feet."

Forming into a column of twos, the cadets followed their Lord out of the Great Hall and towards their new barracks.

Harry resisted the urge to laugh as he led the group through several twists and turns on his way to the branch of the castle that had been set aside for the use of the Azkaban detachment.

"Well?" Harry turned to one of the two guards flanking the entranceway.

"Sir, Corporal Watters, situation green, nothing further to report Sir" the guard replied quickly.

"Excellent, I'll be . . ."

"Sir" one of the cadets shouted interrupting the statement, "someone followed us from the hall."

"Hello Harry," Luna breezed past the cadets and several guards, "how was your vacation?"

"One of the better vacations that I can remember," Harry smiled to the odd girl, "how was yours?"

"Father and I had to cancel our vacation because of security concerns." Luna's features retained their normal dreamy cast, "can you spare some time to talk with me?"

"Sure," Harry gave the younger girl a smile, taking notice of how much that Luna seemed to want this conversation. "Come right in so we can have a bit of privacy."

"Thank you Harry," Luna gave one of her rare genuine grins, "I really appreciate the fact that you were willing to take the time to talk to me."

"Any time," Harry nodded absently as he led her towards the area that had been set aside as his private chambers.

"That was a very interesting show you put on in the great hall Harry," Luna looked around with unfocused eyes, "I thought that it was very entertaining."

"What makes you think it was a show?" Harry asked with a smirk.

"Because they put on the same show at the Auror Academy every time they run a tour," Luna looked a bit confused, "I also noticed that you were having a difficult time holding down your laughter."

"Ok I suppose that I can accept that logic," Harry nodded slowly, "so what can I do for you?"

"I'm worried about father," Luna bit her lower lip, "I read that several journalists who spoke out against 'you-know-who' were killed during the first war and I do not want him to be killed in this one."

"What makes you think that I can do something?" Harry asked with an expression of confusion, "wouldn't it be better to go to the department of Magical Law Enforcement?"

"I don't believe so," Luna tilted her head, "I believe that you would be a much better person to ask."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well," Luna seemed to ponder something for a moment; "you are the Lord of Azkaban aren't you Harry?"

"Why do you say that?" Harry expression of shock mirrored the ones on Hermione and Becky.

"It's quite obvious Harry," Luna seemed puzzled by the question, "the Lord of Azkaban first appeared coming out of Gringotts Wizarding Bank about two hours after there was an unconfirmed sighting of the Boy-Who-Lived entering the Bank, the Lord of Azkaban has never been seen without the company of a girl matching the description of the girl behind you, and there is also the fact that there are no pictures of you and the Lord of Azkaban together."

"Oh," Harry replied quietly.

"But Luna, Harry couldn't be the Lord of Azkaban," Hermione quickly regained her composure, "every book I've read about the subject indicates that the Lord of Azkaban is some sort of immortal demon."

"Please don't tell me you believed that," Luna gave her a confused look, "you'd have to be rather slow to believe something like that."

"How did you get all this information?" Harry interrupted before an angry looking Hermione had a chance to give her reply, "I wouldn't have thought that most of that information was common knowledge."

"I am the daughter of a Journalist Harry," Luna blinked, "and despite what some people think about 'The Quibbler' it is a respectable newspaper."

"I see," Harry sat down.

"Not to be rude, but I'll ask again." Luna's hands were shaking, "will you please protect my father?"

* * *

AN: This chapter was one of the most difficult to write for some reason, which is why it took so long to put out . . . sorry about that. I really didn't want to write a long sorting scene or the school song, so if you want to include them then you are either welcome to write them yourself or welcome to imagine them. The sharp turns in chapter 25 were in place to prevent a straight shot at the gate; otherwise they could be rammed by a fast moving vehicle. Sorry it took so long but my muse was not cooperating and I couldn't get this chapter to look right. Luna was able to deduce that Harry was the Lord of Azkaban because she does not blindly accept the information that she is given, a trait that often manifests its self in strange ways.

With thanks to my Beta Aphy Snape, without whom I would be lost.

Thanks for the reviews; replies to a few are below.

captuniv – The Islanders are fanatics when it comes to Harry, and Dumbledore has not made any friends on the Island.

athenakitty – Things will get worse before they get better. He will pretend that it did not bother him a bit. She might, I'm not sure. No. Maybe, maybe not, I don't know.

tobang – It all depends, at one point I was updating every day, at most it usually takes a week or two per chapter.

Lady Urquentha – He figured it out several chapters ago during a meet with Harry.

Xirleb70 – Heh, glad you like it

RoughIslandSunrise – It's an OMAKE

Rising Wind Tiger – True, but Dumbledore is an amateur. It's not so much that I dislike him; it's that his actions offend me because of the fact that they are unprofessional.

drake rider – I will finish this story, don't know how long it will take but don't worry about it being abandoned.

Merkabah – Glad you like it

minervakittycat – To answer your questions: Chapter one: He is beginning to find out. Naïve, but not stupid. Heh. Yes. It magically reads your DNA and finds your inheritance. Yes, the black blood is used as ink. Correct. If I can find a place for it. Heh. Chapter two: The last time there was a Lord of Azkaban was several years before. Yes, it was a Bill cameo but not important to the story. Not yet. Heh. Yes. No. Chapter three: Yup. Thanks. Yes he can, this will be an important plot point in the future.

SonPanSatan – It was a Black thing, also known as a poorly written plot point, would proboblally write it differently now.

badger-dude – Go ahead, if you want more information about my take on Azkaban then I would suggest checking out my Yahoo group. (You can also post your story there if you wish) Yes great and mighty MooseLord, may be adding to Harry's collection.

PGHammer – Quite a bit to respond to, Arthur enjoys the look of love and innocence in the eyes of his children, he likes the fact that they see him as a gentile man who would never hurt a fly and he does not want to lose that by letting them learn about his past. Yup MOPS is based on the OPR and the Inspector General, even based the name on the OPR, I figured that the ministry would need something to perform that standard and I also figured that Percy would be the perfect person to introduce them to my story. Moody will have a scary grin on his face if he ever finds out who the ghost is, and he will be very impressed that Arthur could be so good at hiding it. Azkaban receives a lot of its income through exporting citizens to work as 'mercenaries' in wizarding Briton, Departments like Magical Law Enforcement and the Department of Mysteries are quick to hire well trained people from the Island. He got the title from his Mother. Very like Israel, I based some of the ideas about the Military on the Israeli Defense Force and the Swiss Militia System.

Some more scenes about Arthur

Scene One:

Moody led a squad of young Aurors to the alleyway where it had been reported that two men were causing great bodily harm to several others.

Wincing at the sound of bones shattering, he strained his ears to make out what the two were saying to each other.

"No son," the first voice seemed somewhat exasperated, "you got to twist like this."

The pronouncement was accompanied by a sickening crack.

"Like this?" (Sickening crack) Voice number two asked curiously.

"Close, but more like this" Sickening crunch

"Oh, like this." sickening crunch.

"That's my boy," voice number one said with pride, "now let's take care of the rest."

"Should we go in sir?" one of the new Aurors on the team asked Moody with eyes full of indignation, "they're torturing those poor men."

"Those poor men are death eaters boy," Moody shot the young man a glare, "and from the sound of things, the man who's doing it is the ghost."

"But sir" the eager Auror recruit whispered, "there are two of them and the ghost always worked alone, besides even if it is the ghost, he's wanted for questioning by the head of the DMLE."

"Looks like the ghost had a son and he's decided to teach him the family business," Moody answered quietly, "and if you think we caught him by surprise then you didn't notice the five silent wards we tripped when we approached the alley."

"Then why is he still here sir?"

"Because he knows that even if you are stupid enough to take him on then he would have no problem tearing through all of you like snot through Kleenex, and with two of them I don't like my chances." Moody smirked at the boy's shocked look, "besides that, it's death eaters that they're dealing with so I can't say that I'm going to spend much effort following the order to bring them in for questioning."

"I understand Sir."

"Thought you might lad," Moody smirked again, "besides only reason that the bureaucrats want him brought in is so they can whine about the Unspeakables being mean and horning in on law enforcement."

Scene Two:

"Honey, I'm home" Arthur called out as he entered the Burrow.

"Did you and Percy have fun together?" Molly smiled at her husband as she walked out of the kitchen.

"Yes we did," Arthur nodded happily, "it was one of those father son moments where I got to teach him something."

"That's good dear," Molly looked at her husband fondly, "what did you teach him?"

"It's a secret," Arthur winked at his wife, "so I can't tell you."

"Really?" Molly fought the urge to laugh, "Like the time you taught the twins how to make stink bombs out of common household products when they were five?"

"How'd you know about that?" Arthur looked at his wife in shock.

"Face it dear," Molly smirked, "there is nothing that goes on in this family that I don't know."

Scene Three:

"I have some grave news my Lord," Wormtail began to kiss the hem of the Dark Lord's robe.

"What is it Wormtail," Voldemort fingered his wand in anticipation

"Random death eaters number five through twelve have all been captured by the Ministry," the rat like man cringed, "our spies reveal that each one was found with shattered kneecaps."

"Why must you waist my time telling me things I already know Wormtail," the Dark Lord asked with a sinister grin, "we have known of the Ghost's return for quite some time now."

"Ministry doctors report that the technique in breaking the knee caps was different on several of the Death Eaters," Wormtail cringed, "and random Death Eater number five showed signs of having his knees broken and healed several times, as if the ghost were teaching someone the correct manner of shattering bones."

"Get to the point Wormtail," the Dark Lord asked eager to get to the punishment.

"There are two of them your Dark Lordness," Wormtail closed his eyes in anticipation of the pain, "the Ministry has already code named the new man as the Phantom and . . ."

"And," Voldemort prompted.

"And when the troops found out several of them wet themselves," Wormtail whimpered, "and two of them passed out."

"Wormtail" Voldemort said quietly eager to get on with the long delayed punishment, "CRUCIO"


	28. The Birth of Strike Team Alpha

Disclaimer: If you don't know, then I'm not going to tell you

* * *

The Birth of Strike Team Alpha

* * *

"Luna I . . ."

"After Mommy died, he's all I have left" Luna's lower lip was quivering, "I'll give you anything if you just keep my daddy from getting hurt."

Harry sighed, "Becky, do we have the available man power to look after him?"

"Yes my Lord" the girl nodded after a few moments of checking her book, "assuming that you wish to assign a standard twelve man detail."

"Then have it assigned to him as soon as possible"

"It shall be done my Lord," Becky made the appropriate notation in her book.

"Oh thank you Harry," Luna wiped away the tears, "now all we have to do is discuss your payment; I'll give you anything you wish."

"You don't have to pay me Luna," Harry gave her a small smile, "we're friends and friends look out for each other."

"That wouldn't be right Harry," Luna gave him an odd look, "and you do know that refusing payment would be considered a rather large insult to the Lovegood family by most of the more traditional elements in our society don't you?"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to insult you Luna," Harry bit his lip, "I suppose that you and Becky could work something out between the two of you."

"Thank you Harry," Luna gave him a peck on the cheek, "I knew I could count on you for help."

"Any time Luna," he smiled at the smaller girl, "and if there is anything else that you need then don't hesitate to come to me for help."

"I won't," Luna agreed happily as she walked towards Becky.

As Harry watched the two girls walk into Becky's adjoining room, he felt another chill go down his spine, shaking it off he reassured himself that his assistant could handle whatever strange ideas the pretty Ravenclaw might have for 'appropriate' payment.

"I think you did the right thing Harry," Hermione smiled at her friend, "by insuring that there is a paper that is willing to speak out against Voldemort and the Ministry, you insured that there will always be a voice of opposition."

"Glad I have your approval on this one," Harry smirked, "so where did they put your room?"

"Next to Becky's room," Hermione pointed to another door, "apparently the guards decided to connect all of our rooms."

"Why would they do that?" Harry asked with genuine bewilderment.

"I presume that it's because they have noticed the amount of time the three of us spend together in your room and they decided to make it easier for us to have our meetings."

"Oh"

"I'm a bit sleepy, so goodnight Harry"

"Goodnight Hermione," Harry replied before getting ready for bed.

The regular students of Hogwarts awoke the next day with a sense of nervousness that rivaled the one they had felt whilst waiting to be sorted in their first year. For the first time they would have close contact with people from the Prison Island.

Curious Muggle-born first years were quickly warned of the terrible things that occurred on the Island of Azkaban and as the students walked towards their first class, every one of them kept an eye out for the cadets from the Azkaban Military Academy.

One of these objects of speculation was Cadet Elilijar; Cadet Elilijar was a young girl who was trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach as she walked towards her first class, Charms with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff houses. Entering the room, she ignored the stares of curiosity and fear and made her way to one of the empty seats.

"It seems that we are lucky enough to have one of the exchange students with us today," the small charms professor smiled at the class, "would you mind introducing yourself and answering a few questions for us?"

The eleven year old girl looked as if her face had been carved from stone. Before her departure from the Island, her mother had taken her aside and explained what a large honor she had received, explained that his Lordship must have seen within her the potential for great things, explained that her face was the face of the Island.

The small girl was determined not to let her Lord or her Island down; she was determined to show these outlanders that Azkabans' reputation for producing some of the most dangerous people on the planet was well deserved.

And so quashed her fear and erased all trace of visible emotion, as her Lord had commanded, she was going to give one hell of a show.

"Sir no Sir" the young girl barked out, "Cadet Elilijar Sir."

"Thank you dear," Professor Flitwick smiled at the young girl, "does anyone have any questions for our guest?"

Many students shrank fearfully under the young cadet's gaze and no questions were asked until a young female Ravenclaw gathered her courage and asked the first question.

"Why is Harry Potter with you?" The girl had always been a fan of 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' and she was anxious to get any information on her hero.

"Commander Potter received his citizenship this summer," Cadet Elilijar replied calmly, "and as such he has chosen to stay with us."

"Why is his uniform different than yours?" A young muggle-born asked curiously, "My Dad is in the army and all of their uniforms are the same."

"Commander Potter is a commissioned officer and as such he wears the uniform of the Azkaban Military," the girl paused, "I am a cadet and as such I wear a cadet's uniform."

"How did he become a Commander at such a young age?" the boy persisted, "he's not even out of school yet."

"I believe that Commander Potter may have stood before an Officer Selection Board shortly after his arrival on the Island, and I know that he spent much of the summer attending Officer Candidate School and Branch Training."

"But why doesn't he wear any pins on his uniform?" Another Potter fan asked, "I know that uniforms are supposed to have pins on them."

It took the cadet several moments to work out the question's meaning, "There are several units in my Lord's forces that do not wear any rank or insignia," the cadet paused for a moment trying to decide what to say, "all of them are classified and quite secretive, I would presume that Commander Potter is a member of one of those units."

"Thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions for us Cadet Elilijar," Flitwick beamed at the young cadet, "five points to Azkaban for your time."

"As per our Lordship's decision, we are not part of the House Point system Sir," Cadet Elilijar answered quickly, "but I thank you for the thought Sir."

"Oh yes, I completely forgot," the Professor laughed nervously, "then do you have any questions for any of us?"

"Sir, not at this time Sir"

"Then I suppose we should get on with our lesson."

The day went quickly for the young cadet and before she knew it she was standing in front of her superior officer.

"Cadet Elilijar reporting as ordered Sir," the young girl barked out while giving a textbook perfect salute.

"Report," Cadet Captain Salibard commanded gently with a return salute.

"I was asked about our Lord during Charms class and I implied that he had received his commission by standing in front of an Officer Selection Board, I do not believe that anyone was suspicious of that."

"Good job Cadet," Salibard smiled warmly, "anything else to add?"

"I don't like being in class without backup Sir," the young girl replied nervously, "I would prefer to stay with my partner if possible Sir."

"I shall inform his Lordship of your request," Salibard nodded, "several of the other Cadets have expressed similar concerns and I believe that, on my recommendation, his Lordship may choose to put you together."

"Thank you Sir," the young cadet's shoulders sagged with relief, "will that be all Sir?"

"Dismissed"

"Sir," Cadet Elilijar saluted her commanding officer and waited until it was returned.

"Well?" Salibard turned to the girl on his left, "what do you think Jilinad?"

"I don't think we have a choice," the senior non commissioned cadet replied, "this matter must be brought to his Lordship's attention."

"Agreed," Salibard nodded, "wish me luck."

"Luck hell," the girl replied quickly, "I'm coming with you."

The two cadets nervously approached the door to their Lord's private chambers; Salibard raised his hand to knock and was surprised to see it swing open on its own.

"Yes?" the Lord's personal assistant asked with a raised eyebrow, "what do you need?"

"We have a matter that we feel should be brought to his Lordship's attention," Salibard fought to keep the nervousness out of his voice, "so we came here to inform him of it."

"Come in," Becky nodded waving them in, "but make it quick, his Lordship hasn't been getting enough sleep lately and I don't want anyone keeping him awake."

"We'll be quick," Jilinad agreed.

"What can I do for the two of you?" Harry looked up from the book he had been reading, "No problems I hope."

"Maybe a small one my Lord," Salibard replied nervously, "I have spoken to several of the Cadets and they are uncomfortable going to class without the support of their partners."

"Alright," Harry nodded, "it was hoped that by spreading them out that more students could spend time around the Cadets but if there is a problem with that then I suppose that we must fix it."

"Yes my Lord," Salibard agreed with a bit of relief.

"Becky," Harry waved his assistant over, "have the Headmaster told that from now on my Cadets will be attending class with their partners and that I felt uncomfortable leaving them in a situation where they did not have backup from their fellow cadets."

"It shall be done my Lord," Becky agreed.

"Any other problems?" Harry asked the two cadets.

"Sir, no Sir," they replied together.

"Have the two of you enjoyed your stay at Hogwarts so far?" Harry followed up, "the food alright, quarters alright that sort of thing?"

"Everything has been satisfactory my Lord," Salibard replied, "not to the standards of the Academy of course, but we can't expect that level of professionalism outside the Island."

"My Lord," Becky interrupted the conversation, "forgive the interruption but the Cadets have an early morning and I suspect that they would like to be off to bed."

"Of course," Harry nodded, "sorry for keeping the two of you so long."

"Thank you for your time Sir," the two replied with a salute, and left on its return.

"I suppose that I should be turning in also Becky," Harry gave his assistant an affectionate grin, "goodnight."

"Goodnight Harry," Becky smiled to him as she entered her own quarters.

Harry awoke early and decided to have a bit of fun with his assistant, "Good morning Becky," Harry spoke before opening his eyes, "how are you today?"

"Very well thank you Harry," she gave him an unseen smile, "how did you sleep last night?"

"Like a log, thank you," Harry opened his eyes, "what do I have today?"

"Not much, the Headmaster has given all students the day off to 'take advantage of the opportunity to familiarize themselves with their new classmates" she began flipping through her ever-present book, "though if I may suggest something?"

"Go ahead"

"It may be wise to meet with our people to see what progress they have made," she smiled, "I believe that our Potions Mistress has some exciting news that she wants to share with you."

"Alright," Harry did his best to rub the sleep out of his eyes, "when can they all get here and where should we have the meeting?"

"They are all awake and waiting to meet at your pleasure, and I would suggest that we hold our meeting in our wing of the castle," Becky checked her book, "according to the guard commander, it has been checked for bugs and other monitoring devices less then an hour ago and it is the most secure location in the castle that is under our control."

"Make it so," Harry smirked at the reference, "any problems with meeting here?"

"The presence of the cadets Harry," Becky took a deep breath, "I don't believe that we should hold our meeting around so many individuals without the need to know."

"I'll take care of that Becky," Harry rose from his bed, "you go see if Hermione is awake."

"By your command," Becky agreed before walking through the door into Hermione's room.

"Cadet Captain Salibard," Harry emerged from his chambers and walked into the common area with a grin.

"Yes my Lord?"

"It is such a nice day outside that I thought you might want to take the cadets for a run around the lake, or a tour of the grounds."

"If you say so Sir," Salibard looked out the window at the buckets of rain coming down with an inscrutable expression on his face.

"Whatever you want to do," Harry shrugged, "just so long as it keeps you out of here for a while."

"Ah," Salibard nodded in understanding, "I understand Sir, when would you like us to return?"

"It will be at least an hour," Harry replied after a moment of thought, "if it runs longer then that then I'll have the guards at the door tell you any changes."

"By your command Sir," the Captain of Cadets nodded.

Harry reflected on the changes that the summer had wrought as he watched the cadet gather up his troops, smirking in amusement he tried to figure out what the Harry that had ridden home with the Dursleys would have said if he had known what would happen.

Within minutes the room had cleared of Cadets and Harry was ready to conduct his meeting.

"Becky tells me that you have some news for me?" Harry turned to his Potions Mistress, a curious look on his face.

"Yes my Lord," the old woman replied with a bit of excitement, "per your instructions I have visited the site of confrontation over the Philosopher's Stone . . ."

"And?" Harry leaned forward in excitement.

"I believe that we have recovered a large percentage of the fragments though I am unsure whether they will be useable. I do believe though, that we might be able to extrapolate the formula and manufacturing process."

"Excellent," Harry nodded with satisfaction, "and what is the status on the other thing?"

"I believe it would be best if we were to wait a bit before we conduct phase two of our salvage operations," Harry's Potions Mistress bit her lower lip, "to be honest my Lord, I am unsure on how to proceed and I would like a bit more time to research the issue."

"Take all the time you need Nele," Harry gave a reassuring grin, "you have already exceeded my expectations for this trip and I have every confidence that you will continue to surprise me."

"Thank you my Lord," the now blushing woman took her seat.

"Allmus?"

"I have succeeded in decoding the basic copyright charm for perhaps half the rare books in the Library that you do not already have my Lord," the ancient librarian answered after a moment of thought, "I would estimate that it will take me another week to decode the remainder of the books."

"Excellent," Harry smiled, "is there anything else that needs to be presented? Then before I adjourn, does anyone else have anything that they would like to add? Then this meeting is adjourned, contact Becky if you have any other questions or needs."

Harry stood, "have the sentries informed that we have finished our meeting so they can allow the cadets to return," Harry commanded, "if anyone needs me, I'll be in my quarters reading."

"Hello Harry," Hermione's quiet voice interrupted his reading, "how are you doing?"

"Very well," Harry nodded to his friend, "and you?"

"Better now that the rain has stopped falling," Hermione answered quickly, "now that the sun has come out it would be a shame to spend the day indoors."

"Really?" Harry glanced at the window, "I hadn't noticed."

"It reminds me of the stories that my dad used to tell me about when he was courting my mother," Hermione continued quietly, "he used to tell me that as a young student, he couldn't afford to take my mother out to eat so he would wait for a nice day like this and take her on a picnic."

"I wonder if my parents ever did anything like that." Harry mused.

"I'm sure they did," Hermione smiled, "well, I better get back to that book I was reading."

As he watched his friend leave the room, Harry was struck by a sudden thought, "Dobby."

"Yes Harry Potter Sir, you called for Dobby?" Dobby looked up with eyes full of admiration.

"Hello Dobby," Harry grinned at the small house elf, "thank you for coming."

"Dobby will always come when Harry Potter Sir calls," the house elf replied quickly, "and Harry Potter Sir is such a good wizard for thanking Dobby."

"I called because I was hoping you could get a picnic basket together for me," Harry smiled at his friend, "I was thinking about taking the girls out for a quiet picnic now that the weather has cleared and I was wondering if you could get the food together on such short notice."

"Of course Harry Potter Sir," Dobby puffed out his chest proudly, "Dobby will get Harry Potter his food so that he can take his girls out to eat outside," the small elf then disappeared before Harry could utter a word in response.

"Becky"

"Yes Harry?"

"Would you like to go on a Picnic with Hermione and I?" Harry smiled at his assistant, "I think that the three of us could use some time together."

"I would be delighted to Harry," the small girl beamed at him, "just let me go change."

"One more thing Becky," Harry's amused voice stopped his assistant, "next time you two should try to be a bit more subtle, I may be tired and overworked but I'm not that tired and overworked."

"I'll try to keep that in mind," the young Islander nodded and then disappeared into her chambers.

"Here is your basket Harry Potter Sir," the little elf was bouncing with excitement, "will you be requiring Dobby to get anything else?"

"I would appreciate it if you could spread the word that I don't want to be disturbed unless there is an emergency," Harry took the basket from the Malfoy family's' former House Elf; "I just want to have a quiet lunch with the girls."

"Yes Harry Potter Sir, Dobby will insure that Harry Sir is not bothered," with that the odd House Elf gave a crisp salute and disappeared.

"We are ready Harry," Becky's voice drew Harry's attention away from the House Elf's odd behavior, "are you ready to go?"

The three of them walked calmly through the strangely empty corridors and through the main entrance to a sheltered spot by the lake, unaware that a pair of eyes were watching them with less then good intentions.

His name was Snedly Buckley and he was a reporter of the type that made Rita Skeeter look like a paragon of journalistic integrity.

His purpose at Hogwarts was twofold, first he wanted to take several rolls of covert photographs, and then he wanted to confront 'the-boy-who-lived' in an attempt to make him blurt out embarrassing and potentially dangerous information.

As he prepared to take his career making shot of Harry involved in a scandalous tryst with two young witches a small squeaky voice, "you must not bother Harry Potter Sir."

Turning in annoyance, Snedly beheld the strangest House Elf that he had ever seen, "buzz off, I'm busy."

"Harry Potter Sir does not wish to be disturbed," the small elf continued, "you must leave Harry Potter Sir alone."

Pursing his lips in annoyance, Snedly once again lifted his camera, and then the world began to spin.

He awoke several hours later, face down in a gutter outside the Hogshead, head pounding and smelling strongly of Fire Whiskey.

Apparating back to his office, he immediately set out to develop his pictures and was disappointed to see that he had only managed to take a blurred shot of his attacker.

"How'd the assignment go Snedly?" the Editor asked with a raised eyebrow, "manage to get any dirt on the Potter kid?"

"Not much boss," Snedly shook his head sadly, "kid was surrounded by guards and they prevented me from taking any good shots or approaching, did manage to get a bit of info from that Malfoy kid though."

"Anything good?"

"He gave me quite a bit of little things on the condition that he remain an anonymous and highly placed source inside the school," Snedly gave an evil grin, "but the big story is that Potter cast one of the Unforgivables on someone."

"Just the allegation would sell a lot of papers," the Editor gave an evil grin, "run with it, let's see what we can squeeze from the golden boy before he stops being popular."

"I'll get right on it"

It only took a few minutes for Snedly to write the basic story and just as he was about to put in the finishing touches he was interrupted by another 'odd' House Elf.

"You is to stop writing bad things about Harry Potter Sir," the small female Elf glared at him, "you is to stop right now."

"Look," Snedly resisted the urge to yell, "these are important questions that will only help the poor boy in the long run, if any of this is true then the public has a right to know."

"You is NOT to be writing bad things about Harry Potter Sir," The odd female House Elf insisted. "Harry Potter Sir is a good and kind Wizard."

"Look, what's your name?"

"I is Winky," the small elf glared up at him."

"Well Winky," Snedly tried a different tactic, "freedom of the press is one of the most important columns on which our society rests and without it I fear that civilization itself would crumble."

"You will Not write bad things about Harry Potter Sir," with one wave of her hand the story that he had been writing was erased, and with another, Snedly found himself upside down.

"But perhaps I could write about something else," Snedly began sweating, "do you have a problem with me writing about the Ministry?"

"The Ministry is not Harry Potter Sir"

"Well then, if you will let me down then I can start writing my new story about the Ministry and not about Harry Potter," Snedly tried to smile around his nervousness, "is that alright?"

"It is fine," the House Elf gave him one last glare before disappearing.

As he fell towards the floor, Snedly reminded himself to be more specific in his instructions when he spoke with House Elves in the future.

Setting a fresh piece of paper into his typewriter, Snedly began to write a new story, a story about the Ministry that did not say any 'bad things' about 'Harry Potter Sir.'

The next morning, several citizens of the Wizarding World were shocked to see what appeared to be a blurred picture of a flying pile of laundry on the front page of the Daily Quill under the headline . . .

_Ministry Trains Elite Team of House Elf Commandos_

_by Snedly Buckley, staff writer of the Daily Quill_

_In my recent pursuit of a story at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, this reporter was lucky enough to stumble across a piece of information that will astound my loyal readers._

_The Ministry of Magic which has been criticized as late for its ineffectiveness against the recent threat of 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named-But-You-Know-Who-It-Is-To-Whom-I-Am-Referring' has not been as lax in our protection as we had first feared. After I arrived at the school, I approached 'The-Boy-Who-Lived-Who-Is-The-Savior-Of-The- World-By-Which-I-Mean-Our-World-The-Wizarding-World-Though-It-Cannot- Be-Denied-That-He-Also-Saved-The-Muggle-World' but was stopped in my approach by a strange House Elf wearing an ingenious suit of camouflage._

_Luckily dear readers, I was able to convince him that I was not a Death Eater and that I posed no threat to 'The-Boy-Who-Lived-Who-Is-The-Savior-Of-The- World-By-Which-I-Mean-Our-World-The-Wizarding-World-Though-It-Cannot- Be-Denied-That-He-Also-Saved-The-Muggle-World' and so I was released and not imprisoned in the Island Prison of Azkaban. Our story does not end there, for just as I had finished my story on 'The-Boy-Who-Lived-Who-Is-The-Savior-Of-The- World-By-Which-I-Mean-Our-World-The-Wizarding-World-Though-It-Cannot- Be-Denied-That-He-Also-Saved-The-Muggle-World' our office was invaded by ' Strike Team Alpha' which is a division of the Secret House Elf Commando, who citing the sensitive nature of the information that I was able to discover about 'The-Boy-Who-Lived-Who-Is-The-Savior-Of-The- World-By-Which-I-Mean-Our-World-The-Wizarding-World-Though-It-Cannot- Be-Denied-That-He-Also-Saved-The-Muggle-World' confiscated the pictures that I was able to take at Hogwarts._

_Now, begging the readers' indulgence, this reporter will step away from his normal journalistic integrity to editorialize a bit._

_While it can not be contested that 'The-Boy-Who-Lived-Who-Is-The-Savior-Of-The- World-By-Which-I-Mean-Our-World-The-Wizarding-World-Though-It-Cannot- Be-Denied-That-He-Also-Saved-The-Muggle-World' must be protected, this reporter questions the use of such an Elite unit as the Secret House Elf Commando as his guards, wouldn't they be more effective as a strike force against 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named-But-You-Know-Who-It-Is-To-Whom-I-Am-Referring' and his forces, and while I recognize that it is sometimes necessary to keep some sensitive issues out of the publics' eye, I do not believe that it was necessary to use the elite ' Strike Team Alpha' to invade this newspapers' office, so I say to our Government, next time just ask._

* * *

AN: I just couldn't see Harry coming up with the picnic without prompting, as for the importance that it has to the story . . . none at all beyond the scene with the reporter. For anyone who was worried about my not finishing the story, don't. I may have the occasional problem with my muse but I will finish this.

With thanks to my Beta Aphy Snape, without whom I would be hunted by rabid grammar freaks.

For all you People who miss the Volde OMAKEs

"Where is it Wormtail?" the Dark Lord hissed, "I must have it."

"Here it is Master," the simpering Worm . . . Tail handed over a package wrapped in brown paper.

"Very good Wormtail," the Dark Lord hissed (again), "but I expect this to be delivered faster next time . . . Crucio."

Ripping off the paper, the Dark Lord cackled (because Dark Lords do not giggle) with glee, it had finally arrived . . . the latest issue of 'Teen Witch Magazine.'

"WHAT IS THIS TRAVESTY?" The Dark Lord screamed, "How could Harry Potter be named sexiest wizard alive over me?"

"They must discriminate against Dark Wizards my Lord," the rat like man cowered, "that must be why you aren't in it master."

"Perhaps you're right Wormtail," the Dark Lord began to calm down, "let's see, 'Harry Potter is not only the boy who lived but he is also one of the richest men alive, the only disadvantage that we can see is the high possibility that You-Know-Who would try to kill any of Harry's girlfriends'" The Dark Lord finished with a smirk, "that's true."

Turning the page the Dark Lord froze in shock, "the Lord of Caer Azkaban, the sexiest Dark WIZARD ALIVE . . . . WORMTAIL CRUCIO."

And another scene with are favorite wacky Dark Lord.

"Wormtail""

"Yes master?"

"I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am for using the Cruciatus Curse on you all the time."

"Does that mean you'll stop using it on me so often Master?"

"Yes it does Wormtail," the Dark Lord smiled, "CRUCIO."

"But master," the rat choked out between screams, "I thought you said."

"April Fools Wormtail," the Dark Lord chuckled, "you should have seen the look on your face."

"But it's not even April yet master," Wormtail protested.

"Idiot, you can't expect the author to keep this from his loyal readers," Voldemort hissed in anger, "CRUCIO."

In response to a comment on my group about the twins becoming minister.

"I want that report on my desk in fifteen minutes"

"Yes sir, Minister Weasley Sir" the Underling simpered.

"Standing here isn't going to get that report on my desk you fool, now get out."

Five minutes later, the sound of an explosion alerted the minister that his Underling had found the dung bomb that had been hidden in his desk earlier.

"Brilliant trick Minister" the Underling brownnosed as he handed his report over, "what would you like . . ."

A bell ringing interrupted his platitudes, "looks like it's my turn to be minister brother mine," Forge smirked evilly, "just wait until you find what I hid in your desk."

"Yes sir Minister Sir," Gred gave a polite bow, "though I must say, I can't wait until Umbitch gets out of the hospital."

"Nether can I, twin o' mine," agreed Minister Forge, "testing on each other just lacks a certain . . . something."

Another scene that popped into my head,

"What was that?" Hermione asked in shock.

"I was just wondering if I could date Harry" Luna gave a dreamy smile, "he has such wonderful green eyes."

"Ok" Hermione replied slowly, "but why are you asking me?"

"Well, Cho said that you can be very territorial when it comes to Harry and I was hoping that since you were willing to share with one girl that you would be willing to share with two" she gave another of her patented vacant smiles.

Saw an for a superman action figure the other day

"Harry couldn't possibly be the Lord of Azkaban Luna," Hermione replied with a superior smirk, "I've seen the Lord of Azkaban and he doesn't wear glasses, Harry does wear glasses . . . how would he see?"

Thanks for the reviews; responses to a few are below.

athenakitty – All the students are in the dark, and aside from McGonagall and Dumbledore all the staff. He was spooked by a large dangerous man wearing the uniform of the Azkaban Military. Almost all of them. I'll try to fit it in. Nope, he'll be lost in his own little world.

antares520 – The cadets will show discipline and military courtesy when they are outside of their branch of the castle, inside their branch of the castle they will act more like normal children, and they are putting on a show for the Hogwarts students and staff.

Darak – The 'goblin' codenames are a bit of minor foreshadowing. As for the Ferret code name, blame Crouch Junior not me.

EternallyLost – I am trying to work on my grammar, you should see what it looks like before I start editing it. And thanks for your compliments about Snape and Ron, for several chapters I couldn't help feeling that I was taking the easy path in removing them rather then trying to insert them into the story where I had no use for them.

dead feather – Hermione, Luna, McGonagall, Dumbledore, Remus, Tonks

CANADIAN-COOLIO – I know about it, several authors are doing AU's of my story with my knowledge and permission.

PersonaJXT – Nihongo ga wakaru, the relationship is what the reader wants it to be, I'm trying to keep it a bit ambiguous.


	29. The Update That Took Forever

Disclaimer: If you think that I own Harry Potter then you are wrong.

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The Update That Took Forever

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Rose resisted the urge to run as she traveled through the empty corridors of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

She had stayed behind after her charms class to ask her diminutive Head of House a few questions and now she was late for her Transfiguration class with Professor McGonagall.

Walking into what she thought was the hallway that housed the Transfigurations Class Room; she came face to face with a dead end, turning quickly she was surprised to find her way blocked by four older boys, all wearing the crest of Slytherin on their robes.

"Look what we have here," the boy chuckled darkly, "a little mud-blood firsty all alone on her own. What do you think we should do with it?"

Rose shrank back in fear, "Just leave me alone."

"Oh, I don't think we're going to do that," the boy's smile disappeared, "mud-bloods like you need to learn their place."

"Yeah," one of the other boys agreed, "mud-bloods like you don't belong in our world."

"We think you are going to leave her alone," a dark voice spoke up from behind the group.

"Who cares what you think, now back off or you'll be next." One of the other boys turned to look at the newcomers and froze, "um guys, I think you should have a look at this."

"What is it," one of the other boys turned in annoyance.

"A lesson, in manners." Cadet Captain Salibard replied, "You see, Jilinad and I, we don't think that it's polite to pick on helpless children."

"So?" the Slytherin asked with false bravado.

"So I think that it would be best if cadets Elilijar and Padan were to escort young Rose to her class room while the five of us . . . talk."

"Yes Sir," Elilijar and her partner replied together.

"Hi, I'm Cadet Elilijar, but you can call me Mandy." The young cadet greeted Rose with a smile, "let's go off to class while Captain Salibard and Sergeant Jilinad have their talk with those other boys."

"Ok," Rose took her new friend's hand shyly, "I'm Rosalie Wallace, but you can call me Rose."

"Ok," Elilijar replied happily grabbing Rose's hand, "let's get to class as quickly as possible so we don't miss anything important."

As the trio made their way to the Transfiguration Class room, their young ears caught the tail end of the conversation between the Commander of Cadets and his second in command.

"What do you think we should do to them Jilinad?" Cadet Captain Salibard's voice echoed behind them.

"I think that we should start with soft tissue," came the chilling reply that was to be the last words that the small group heard before their feet and the shifting walls of the castle took them out of earshot.

"Hello Minerva," Dumbledore's greeting halted all activity in the Transfiguration classroom. "I was wondering if I could borrow young Harry for a few minutes."

McGonagall looked at Harry out of the corner of her eye and saw his small nod, "certainly Albus."

"Thank you Minerva," Dumbledore smiled as he waited for Harry to get to the door.

"What did you want?" Harry asked neutrally after the door to the classroom had closed.

"There has been an incident between your cadets and three Slytherin students." Dumbledore answered quickly.

"Do tell," Harry shrugged, "but hurry to the part where you have something that I should care about."

"Those students were badly injured and are all going to have to spend considerable time in the hospital wing recuperating."

"Really?" Harry raised his eyebrows in mock surprise, "so do you mean to tell me that three of your students were attacked without provocation? Or did they do something to cause my cadets to become annoyed at them?"

"They have stated that it was an unprovoked attack," Dumbledore answered, "and even if there was some provocation on their part, that can't be any justification for their treatment."

"They were protecting a young first year Ravenclaw from three bullies," Harry smiled, "and they restrained themselves from committing any serious injuries, I wouldn't be surprised if the three Slytherins were milking their injuries for sympathy." Harry snorted, "We've certainly seen enough of that sort of behavior from members of their house in the past."

"They didn't mention any of this to me when I questioned them," Dumbledore replied quietly.

"And I suppose that you didn't take the opportunity to sort through their thoughts?" Harry countered, "Or am I special in that you have no problem in violating my privacy?"

"I did sense that they were holding something back when they talked to me," the Headmaster grudgingly admitted."

"Good," Harry nodded, "then I can consider this subject closed."

"We still have the matter of the Cadet's punishment for assaulting three of their fellow students," Albus said quickly before Harry could leave, "and I must ask you, as the Headmaster, of the school what your intentions are?"

"How are you planning to punish the Slytherin Students?"

"I don't feel a need to punish the three Slytherin Students after all that has happened to them," Albus answered slowly.

"Alright, then since you don't 'feel a need' to punish the Slytherin Students then I feel no need to punish the cadets."

"Harry," Dumbledore said in a grandfatherly voice. "They injured three students, don't you think that should be punished."

"They were protecting a young first year Ravenclaw from being injured by three larger and stronger students," Harry counted, "so why should I punish them while the other three students don't even get a harsh word."

"Don't you think that their time in the Hospital wing is punishment enough? I would think that you of all people would know that better then anyone," Dumbledore added with a hint of humor.

"Perhaps you are correct," Harry mused, "then by your logic the time my cadets spent with my healers having the lacerations on their knuckles repaired was also punishment enough."

"And if I were to punish the three Slytherin students?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"My position would remain unchanged." Harry smiled, "you may disagree, but I believe that the instinct to protect those weaker than you is a trait that should be nurtured and not punished."

"I see," Dumbledore's shoulders dropped, "that isn't something that I considered, and Harry . . . I'm sorry you feel that way about me."

"You're sorry I feel what way?"

"That you would think that I would not appreciate the desire to protect, all I have done was to keep you and the wizarding world safe."

"And thus we arrive at the heart of the matter; you believe that safety is paramount and I. . ." Harry fixed the old professor with an intense look, "I believe that freedom is worth sacrificing safety for."

"Would you care to elaborate on that idea Harry?"

"If you could, would you lock every student into a padded room where no danger could reach them? If you could, would you block their eyes so that they could see no evil and their ears so that they would not hear an unkind word?"

"No, I would not," the Headmaster answered, "to do so would be criminal."

"Then why did you do it to me?" Harry asked quietly, "you locked me away to keep me safe and you kept information from me for fear that it would disturb me. If by your word such acts are criminal then why did you do them?"

"I can't answer that Harry," the Headmaster shook his head, "not that I won't, I can not. You have given me much to think about and I would like to save my answer for the future if I may?"

"I have no problems with that," Harry smiled, "the fact that it causes you to think rather then spout off mindless justification gives me hope that we might someday repair our damaged relationship."

"Thank you," Dumbledore's expression was a mix of happiness and sorrow. "Was there anything else that you wished to speak to me about?"

"The Weasley Twins"

"What about them?" The old man asked curiously.

"I would like to give them an opportunity to take their NEWTS," Harry replied, "I would also like to take them myself to see what areas I should improve in the next couple of years."

"Harry," Dumbledore said slowly. "I would like to grant your request but the Ministry will only allow their examiners to visit Hogwarts once a year."

"I've taken care of that," Harry waved it off, "all I want is your permission to bring them here."

"Done," Dumbledore answered happily, "but how did you manage it?"

"You'll find that there are very few things that the Ministry is unwilling to do to get back into my good graces," Harry smirked.

"I see," the Headmaster began to laugh, "do you mind if I open the testing to the other students? I would imagine that there are several students that might wish to take at least a few of their NEWTS early."

"Not at all," Harry smiled

"Was there anything else that you wished to talk to me about Harry?"

"Not at the moment."

"Then I suppose that you should be heading back to class," Dumbledore smiled, "have a good day Harry."

"You too," Harry's smirked after the Headmaster turned the corner, events were beginning to reach their conclusion.

Harry took several quick steps down the hallway in the direction of the section reserved for his use, "Well?"

"Well, what Harry?" Becky replied quickly.

"Well what do you think?" Harry replied with a raised eyebrow.

"I think that it would be best to finish our cleanup tonight and to take the test soon afterwards."

"I agree," Harry gave a sharp nod, "schedule it for three days from now."

"Alright Harry," Becky nodded, "anything else?"

"How did you get out of the classroom and into the hall without me noticing?"

"Professor McGonagall has been teaching here for a very long time," Becky replied quietly, "and that gives her a bit of insight that you or I may not have."

"I see," Harry nodded slowly. "when you have a chance, thank her for her assistance."

"I'll make a note of that," Becky nodded, "should I have the others gather in preparation for our trip to the chamber?"

"I think that would be best," Harry agreed, "I want to get this done with as quickly as possible so that I don't have to spend anymore time than I have to in that place."

"They shall be waiting when we arrive Harry," Becky looked up from her book. "Is that all?"

"For now," Harry agreed.

The two spent the remainder of the walk to their quarters in silence, Harry lost in thought and Becky not wanting to disturb her Lord.

"Afternoon Cadets," Harry greeted the two door guards, "anything to report?"

"Sir, your staff has assembled and holds itself in readiness for your orders."

"Thank you," Harry turned back to his assistant, "Let's get this over with Becky."

"Yes my Lord"

"Remain seated," Harry commanded as he entered the common room, "I don't want to spend anymore time than I have to in the Chamber so first I want a report on your progress and then we'll start the harvest."

"My analysis of the stone has been going rather well, and I believe that in time we may be able to replicate at least some of its properties." Harry's Potions Mistress began, "and for tonight's activities, I have several expanding boxes and jars. That, along with field kits should be sufficient."

"I only have a few volumes in the restricted section to copy before I am finished my Lord," the old librarian gave a small smile, "and if it is not an imposition, I would like to accompany you to copy any inscriptions that we might find in the Chamber."

"If you like," Harry nodded, "anything else for the good of the Island?" Harry looked around, "Then this meeting is adjourned."

As the group made their way to the bathroom that housed the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, several things occurred to Azkabans' Elderly Archivist.

"May I ask a question my Lord?"

"What is it?"

"Just how extensive are the tunnels connecting the Chamber to the rest of the school?"

"I'm not sure," Harry shrugged, "I never saw more then a small portion of them, why?"

"I would like to ask your permission to explore them," Almus looked excited, "who knows what we may be able to find."

Harry sighed, "I suppose that we should take an accurate survey of the tunnels." He turned to speak over his shoulder, "see that I have the time to let them into the tunnels Becky."

"I don't believe that will be necessary my Lord," Almus spoke up before Becky had a chance, "I believe that all we'll need is a recording of you ordering the entrance to open. That way, we won't be wasting anymore of my Lord's time then we must."

"We'll try that," Harry agreed as they arrived at the door to the toilet. Walking to the sink, Harry glanced at his archivist to ensure that the man was ready and opened his mouth. "_I command you to open,_" the group looked on in wonder as the entrance to the Chamber revealed itself in response to the hissing coming from their Lord's mouth, "_Close._"

Harry nodded in satisfaction as the Chamber resealed itself. "Almus if you would."

"Yes my Lord," he replied fiddling with his wand.

Harry watched in amusement as the elderly man opened and closed the entrance several times before he was satisfied. "it appears to work my Lord."

"Good," Harry nodded. "I'm going back to my chambers, inform me if you find anything of note."

And on that note, The Lord of Caer Azkaban returned to his chambers. Leaving the exploration and salvage of the Chamber in the hands of his capable followers.

* * *

AN: Well that took a long time, Sorry about that. It is because my outline for the story kept changing and I kept having to redo things, good news is that I have resolved things and they won't be a problem anymore.

Again thanks go to my beta, Aphy Snape.

jollander – Heh

Harry felt an amazing sense of peace as he stood under the stream of hot water, his daily shower was the only time he had to relax, the only time he had to himself.

His musings were cut short when he heard the faint sound of footsteps on tile, flinging open the curtains he jumped out ready for a fight to the death.

"Oh hi Harry," Tonks waved at him with a grin on her face, "how ya' doing?"

"Tonks, what are you doing here?"

"Someone pranked the showers so they spit out black ink whenever a female stood under them without a guy being present."

"Oh," Harry tried to cover himself up, "so what are you doing here?"

"Don't you remember?" Tonks gave him a worried look, "I'm staying at the castle to help work out a few security issues for the Ministry."

"No, I mean what are you doing HERE?"

"Oh, well we decided that none of those perverted bastards would get a chance to look at our luscious bodies as the reward for pulling a prank like that so we decided to take a shower with you."

"We?" Harry asked weakly.

Within moments the room was flooded by nearly every female at Hogwarts above fifth year, all of them clad only in a towel."

"Yes," Tonks replied with a bit of humor, "we."

"Oh," Harry felt like he was going to faint, "couldn't you at least wear bathing suits?"

"Honestly Harry," a voluptuous young Ravenclaw shot him an annoyed look, "don't you know that it's impossible to get clean while wearing a bathing suit? Don't be inconsiderate."

"Oh, I suppose not," Harry was trying very hard not to look, "how will all of you fit in the shower at one time?"

"I've worked out a time table to allow all of the girls to get in their proper amount of shower time," the voluptuous young Ravenclaw replied, "now get in the shower, you don't want to screw up my calculations do you?"

"I suppose not," Harry agreed weakly as he was dragged into the shower by a group of girls.

"Tonks," Becky asked quietly after Harry was safely out of earshot.

"Yeah Becky?"

"Are you ever going to tell him that it was a large group of girls that set up the prank on their own showers?"

PGHammer – Very astute, not to her parents.

phoenixfeather6988 – I'm a vet, those who didn't go can't know.

erris1 – I'm doing something like this in my story 'Make A Wish'

Suzanne of Dragons Breath – Heh

"I attack Harry Potter with a Dark Curse Master," the Death Eater Simpered.

"Good now roll," the Dark Lord answered calmly.

"Fifteen Master," the Death Eater Simpered, "did I hit him?"

"Wormtail?"

"My saving throw for Harry beats a fifteen Master," Wormtail tried not to flinch, "and the rules say that now I have to roll on the random insult table."

"Then get on with it Wormtail," the Dark Lord replied with false calm, "it's just a Role Playing Game, and whatever you have Potter say wont anger me."

"Yes Master," the rat like man cringed, "he says that you must be the most incompetent Dark Lord ever if you are continually beaten by babies and children not out of school and then," he made another roll. "He destroys you with a burst of unknown power."

"DAMN YOU POTTER," Volde began screaming in a deranged fashion, "Even when I play 'Role Playing Games' you mock me, WORMTAIL . . . CRUICO."

Peter's last thought before his world dissolve into pain was that working for Voldemort was still better then his former job as a spell designer for Micro-Hard.

Lady Sunflower - That was a rather well thought out review, I'll briefly reply to some of what I believed to be the main points. I agree with you that Dumbledore is an immensely powerful person, in this story his entire motivation is to keep Harry save, not comfortable, not happy, SAFE. My perception of Dumbledore is that he believes that Human life is sacred, that one must do everything in one's power to preserve it. He believes that all that matters is keeping Harry alive, and not just to preserve the prophesied child. As to Dumbledore's fitness as a Military commander, he has no experience that we know of, he does not appear to be ruthless enough, and he does not appear to be doing anything proactive. I'll be the first to admit that this may be because of the fact that the books are about Harry, keeping us from seeing some of Dumbledore's actions, but at the moment we don't have any proof of his fitness or ability. I agree with you about Ron's character for the most part, I wrote him out because I can't get a really good handle on how to write his character. He forgot Harry's birthday because he allowed himself to get carried away with his new surroundings, not out of any maliciousness. This brings us to Becky; you are one of the first people to realize that she is not a healthy person. She is a fanatic, she is obsessed with Harry, and she has been trained from birth to believe that he is the greatest person ever to exist. You are wrong about one thing though, she does trust his judgment. Becky has a lot in common with Dumbledore in that they both want Harry to be safe, Dumbledore tries to keep the bad things away from Harry and Becky tries to eliminate them before they have a chance to be a problem and failing that she gets revenge. Her assessment of Ron was wrong; she had never met him and was basing him off some second hand stories of events that had occurred years before. In short, she believes that if it is not forbidden then it is permitted and that nothing short of Harry ordering otherwise will stop her from protecting Harry from the bad things in the world. Another thing that people forget is that she is a rather young and inexperienced girl not sure how much that will change before the end of the story though. Thanks for the review.


	30. No more Pencils : No more Books

Disclaimer: Just because I updated doesn't mean that you'll see more soon. Only a few more chapters of this story though.

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No more Pencils : No more Books

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"They have finished their initial survey of the chamber and its connected tunnels." Becky looked up from her book.

"Anything interesting?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow.

"They report that the charms that allowed the Basilisk to survive all this time have also worked to preserve the body," Becky made a few more notations in her book. "They also report that the tunnels appear to run throughout the entire school."

"Any chance in figuring out those charms?" Hermione perked up, "the uses for food preservation alone would justify it."

"I'll tell them," Becky nodded.

"Any books or scrolls?" Harry spoke up.

"A few," Becky nodded. "Almus reports that many of them are damaged and that it may take time to get any useful knowledge."

"Good," Harry smiled. "Tell him to take his time."

"I will . . . that's odd," Becky's nose wrinkled in confusion. "With your permission, I'd like to go check something Harry."

"Alright," Harry nodded. "Do you want any company?"

"I'm sure it's nothing," Becky shook her head. "I wouldn't want to waste your time."

"Ok," Harry nodded. "Have fun."

Becky took her time as she made her way to the girl's toilet.

"Well?" She chose not to waste time on greetings and went straight to the meat of the problem.

"Here it is," the man passed her a small stack of papers. "We found it in a small room off one of the passages, not sure how it got there though."

"Was there any indication that the passage into the room had been used in the last twenty or so years?" Becky frowned.

"No," the man shook his head. "We believe that there might be another way into the room, we'll tell you if and when we find it."

"Good," Becky nodded. "If this is genuine . . . if this is genuine, then I know that our Lord will be pleased."

"I know," the man nodded. "That's why we told you about this as soon as we found it."

"Do you think that you'll be able to finish this by the end of the night?" Becky asked changing the subject.

"I doubt it," the man shook his head. "These passages seem to go on forever, wouldn't worry about time though."

"Why not?"

"We found another passage that goes to an isolated part of the forest," the man smiled. "If all else fails, we can base our expedition out of that."

"Good idea," Becky nodded. "See that you inform me of any other items that might draw our Lord's interest."

"I will," the man promised.

Giving a curt nod, Becky left the room and began making her way back to the Lord's quarters.

"Well look what we have here," Draco grinned. "One of Potter's pets without her master."

"What do you want?" Becky's face was impassive.

"Just a bit of fun," Draco smirked. "I think I'll show you what a real gurk."

Becky lowered her foot and smirked, "if you ever try ineptly threatening me again then I'll do much worse then kick you in the groin."

"D . . . damn you," Draco coughed.

"That wasn't very polite," Becky shook her head and kicked him in the groin again. "But since you're not a very nice person, I won't take it personally."

Draco spent several minutes writhing on the floor before the pain lessened to the point that he could stand again.

"I'll get that gurk," his face paled and he fell to the ground again.

"Dropped my pen," Becky explained. "And since I was here, I thought I would continue my work in removing your ability to contaminate the gene pool."

IIIIIIIIII

The days passed quickly almost without warning the day of the NEWTS was at hand.

Harry, Hermione, and the Twins spent the day taking exam after exam. The most difficult of which was the practical with Alastor Moody.

Wand in hand, Harry threw open the door and dove into the room. Rolling to one side and looking around nervously and braced himself for the attack that he knew was about to occure.

"Nice entrance," Moody looked up from his desk. "But you would have had more cover if you went to the right."

"I'll keep that in mind," Harry replied.

"Stand up and put your wand away," Moody didn't bother looking up from his paperwork. "Wanna ask you a few questions first."

"Alright," Harry allowed himself to relax as he dropped his wand into his pocket.

"What did I tell you about keeping your wand in your pocket?" Moody's voice was dangerously calm as he summoned the boy's wand.

"Arglefrazer," Harry smirked as drew his other wand from it's holster.

"Wha . . ." a proud smile appeared on Moody's face as the wand that he had just taken exploded. Several stunners hit the paranoid man before he had a chance to blink and the man slumped to the floor.

"I didn't think it would be this easy," Harry smiled as approached. "I can't believe that it's this easy."

"Good," Moody replied as he petrified the boy. "Means that you're starting to use your head. Test is over, I've seen all I need to."

"Mmmm." Harry replied.

"Suppose you want to be able to move again?" Moody shrugged, "why not."

"How did you do that?" Harry regarded the other man with wide eyes, "I know I stunned you."

"If you get hit by enough of them," Moody smiled. "Stunners start to lose their effectiveness, I was playing possum. Just goes to show that age and treachery beats youth and treachery every time."

"I thought that was supposed to be youth and enthusiasm?" Harry frowned.

"Nothing enthusiastic about that fake wand you used," Moody gave a horrific smile. "Good job, it'll get you higher marks than most of your classmates could ever hope for."

The students completed the remainder of their NEWTs exams and returned to their quarters.

"Well?"

"Our contacts at the ministry have revealed that both you and Hermione have passed your NEWTS Harry," Becky smiled. "Hermione did very well on hers."

"But not as well as she would have liked," Harry nodded. "Are the 'extra teachers' here yet? Or are they still on the island?"

"They got here about fifteen minutes ago Harry," Becky replied after checking her book. "Do you want them to start the party?"

"Not yet," Harry gave an evil grin. "I don't want Dumbledore to be able to interfere with the operation . . . ask him for that meeting he wanted to have with me."

"Yes Harry," Becky nodded. "Would you like Hermione and I to attend with you?"

"If it's not too much trouble," Harry nodded. "Forget it if either of you has any other plans, I just think that the Headmaster will be less suspicious if he sees all three of us together."

"I'll take care of it Harry," Becky nodded. "Will there be anything else?"

"No," Harry's grin threatened to split his face. "I love it when a plan comes together."

"The Headmaster has replied that he will be in his office waiting for us Harry," Becky glanced down at her book. "I don't believe that he suspects anything."

"Good," Harry nodded. "Let's go."

The three students made their way to the headmaster's office, stopping before the gargoyle.

"Move," Harry commanded in a flat tone. "Thank you."

The three students walked into the Headmaster's office and Becky began making notations in her book as they sat down.

"Thank you for taking the time to visit me," Dumbledore smiled. "There are so many things I'd like to discuss with you."

"Would you like to explain why you sent me to live with my relatives?" Harry asked calmly, "because I've had my men look at the blood wards and they aren't nearly as strong as you've said they are."

"That could be because you didn't spend much time under them this year," Dumbledore offered.

"No," Harry shook his head. "They've adjusted for that."

"Then I must admit that I'm at a loss," the Headmaster frowned. "Did they offer up any explanations?"

"They wanted to talk to you first," Harry smiled. "

"About what?" The Headmaster's eyes lit up with interest.

"They just wanted to see your records of the times that you've visited to check the wards," Harry shrugged. "They say that it's normal to check every year or two, but I'm sure that you checked more often than that."

"I'm afraid that your confidence is misplaced," the Headmaster frowned. "I had believed that your best defence was camouflage."

"So you never bothered to check?" Harry nodded, "and you forbid others to go near my place of residence."

"Yes," Dumbledore nodded. "I had thought that . . ."

"You thought wrong I'm afraid," Harry shook his head. "But accidents happen I'm afraid."

"You're being much calmer about this then I would have expected," the Headmaster observed. "Almost too calm."

"You have to learn patience if you're going to be the sovereign of a small nation," Harry smiled. "Getting angry won't solve anything."

"You are correct in that sentiment," the Headmaster gave a slow nod. "But I can't help but feel that . . . you're stalling me."

"What?"

"You're stalling me," the Headmaster eyes widened and he shot up from his seat. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sure that I don't know what you're talking about Headmaster," Harry gave a warm smile. "Why don't you sit down and we'll discuss this?"

"Ms. Granger flinched when I realised what you're doing," Dumbledore explained as he walked towards the door. "It wasn't much but I have been around for a while, and you acting like you're playing for time. You don't care what I say so long as I'm not thinking about what's going on in the castle."

"Interesting theory," Harry chuckled. "But I'm afraid that you've been spending too much time around Moody."

"I'm sure that I don't have the time to spend talking with you about this Harry," Dumbledore rushed to the exit. "So we'll have to continue this another time."

"If you like," Harry and the girls stood up and began to follow.

Dumbledore arrived in the great hall just in time to see Draco Malfoy be dragged off in chains.

"What are you doing Harry?" Dumbledore turned towards his favorite student, "where are they taking him?"

"Our agreement was that anyone carrying the dark mark in this castle with the exception of Snape would be arrested," Harry smirked. "He's not Snape."

"But he's just a child," Dumbledore protested. "Isn't there another way of handling this?"

"You wouldn't want me to violate the agreement would you?" Harry asked innocently.

"What are you going to do with him?" Dumbledore asked as he watched Azkaban's guards drag Draco Malfoy to his new home.

"Becky?" Harry's face remained impassive.

"One moment Harry," the girl checked her book. "It looks like he'll be in solitary confinement . . . D bloc."

"Is it really necessary to put him in solitary confinement?" Dumbledore asked with a frown, "he's just a child."

"I would be happy to assign him to general population if that is your wish," Harry smiled. "Just know that if I do, then he will have only a limited amount of time to live."

"Why?" Dumbledore was perplexed, "why would you kill a child for taking the path that his parents set him on?"

"He wouldn't die at my order," Harry regarded the Headmaster from the corner of his eye. "Many of the men in my prison are regular criminals, they are not Tom's supporters and most of them have family on the outside. The chance to show a death eater what they think of his little crusade would not be passed up."

"And you'd allow them to do this?" Dumbledore asked with a sick look on his face.

"Whatever you may think, I do not have absolute control over my Island." Harry resisted the urge to laugh, "and I cannot be bothered to take a special interest in the safety of one prisoner."

"Isn't there something you can do?" The Headmaster pleaded, "Draco has come to me and offered to be my spy, he's trying to change."

"Draco is trying to save his skin," Harry snorted. "Rest assured that he'll get a very thorough interrogation, if as you say he's trying to change then . . . then we'll see what happens. For now, he's going to prison for a very long time."

"Harry . . ."

"For now we must be getting back to the island," Harry interrupted. "The time we've spent here was nice, but I really can't afford to be away from my Island for much longer."

"Harry, you agreed to stay here." The Headmaster reminded gently, "you can't break an oath no matter who you are."

"I agreed to stay here until I completed my NEWTs," Harry agreed. "Which I've done today, good bye Headmaster."

"Goodbye Harry," Dumbledore's shoulders dropped. "I . . . goodbye."

IIIIIIIIII

In another part of the Castle, Malfoy's two henchmen were doing something that they had little practice in . . . thinking.

"Draco's gone," Crabbe offered. "What da we do now?"

"Dis all started cause a dat girl," Goyle blinked. "Rose."

"We gotta take care of her then," Crabbe nodded.

"Let's go," Goyle nodded.

The two boys found spent several minutes searching for the small Ravenclaw and eventually found her talking to first year boy from Slytherin House.

Rose paled in fear as the two boys approached and her young friend placed himself in front of the two older boys to offer up some protection.

"Dis boy bothering you?" Crabbe placed a massive hand on the young boy's shoulder.

"Yeah," Goyle nodded. "You want us to rough him up boss?"

"You mean you're not hear to hurt me?" Rose asked shyly.

"You got dem Azkaban students ta take care of Draco right?" Crabbe frowned in confusion.

"Den dat means dat you're da new boss," Goyle nodded. "You help us with our homework and we help you wit odder tings."

"Oh," Rose blinked. "He's not bothering me, he's my friend."

"Sorry about that den," Crabbe released the boy.

"Yeah," Goyle nodded. "Had ta make sure you weren't bothering da boss."

"It's ok," the boy rubbed his shoulder to restore the circulation. "You're not going to tell the others that I'm friends with a muggle born are you? I really like Rose, but if they find out that I'm friends with her they might hurt her."

"De won't do a thing," Crabbe was having trouble with all the thinking he was being forced to do. "She's da boss, so if dey bother her den we bother dem."

"Could you protect Jim too?" Rose spoke up, "I don't want him to get hurt because he's my friend."

"If dat's what you want boss," Goyle agreed.

"Yeah boss," Crabbe nodded. "Who's Jim?"

"This is Jim," Rose pointed to her young friend. "We met on the train and we got sorted into different houses."

"Ok boss," Crabbe nodded. "If dat's what you say."

* * *

AN: Well, it's been a while so this chapter may be a bit rough. This is why I had Harry go back to school, to loot the library, gather up anything of value, and leave. I agree with the comments that it's stupid for Harry to return to school in most stories, in this story I gave what I hope is a logical reason, in 'Make a Wish' I'm sending him back to school for two reasons. The first is because it completes the classic journey of the hero, the second is because I have lot's of funny scenes screaming to be written. Only a few more chapters till the end of this story, hope I can finish it before I finish 'Make a Wish'

* * *


	31. The Velvet Glove

Disclaimer: Don't blame me for the fact that this took forever . . . it was . . . um . . . aliens?

* * *

The Velvet Glove

* * *

"Goodbye Professor," Harry replied. "Have a good day."

"Before you go," Dumbledore called out. "Could you tell me one thing?"

"Maybe," Harry allowed. "What do you wish to know?"

"Where did you learn to do that?" Dumbledore asked, "where did you learn to lie by omission?"

"Where?" Harry asked in amusement, "I had a very good teacher."

"May I ask who?"

"Look in the mirror," Harry said with a grin. "I learned from your example."

"My example?" Dumbledore asked in shock.

"Examine your actions and tell me I'm wrong," Harry said simply. "Things may have gotten better between us but they are not to the point that I'd be willing to ignore your past actions."

"Let us be going my Lord," Becky suggested. "Azkaban is waiting."

"You're right Becky," Harry said fondly. "Thank you for reminding me." With that Harry raised his hand and snapped to summon his carriage, "have a good school year Headmaster."

Dumbledore watched in shock as two of his prized students entered the black carriage and left his school for the last time.

"It was for the best," Dumbledore called out weakly. "All I've done was in your best interests . . . wasn't it?"

Dumbledore did not show up for meals that week and rumor swept through the school. Some thought he was preparing himself for a final confrontation with Voldemort, others believed that he'd been injured in a duel with a dozen death eaters, one student suggested that the Headmaster was addicted to pornography and holed up with the latest issue. None were close to the truth, that an old man was reexamining his past actions and wondering when things had begun to go so wrong.

IIIIIIIIII

A grin formed on Harry's face as his carriage rolled to a stop in front of the castle, he was finally home again.

"Do we have anything scheduled for today Becky?" Harry asked with a smile.

"We do not Harry," Becky replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Just checking," Harry said. "Why don't the three of us just spend a quiet night together?"

"That is fine with me," Becky said with a shy smile.

"Yeah," Hermione agreed. "Me too."

"I'm glad you both approve," Harry said with a smile.

Harry and the girls spent much of the night in conversation. Harry would later be unable to remember any of the subjects discussed, he would remember that it was one of the happiest experiences in his life.

IIIIIIIIII

"Good morning Harry." Becky woke her lord. "Are you feeling well?"

"Yes," Harry replied. "How are you this morning?"

"I am doing well," Becky said with a smile. "Thank you for asking Harry."

"Good," Harry said quietly. "Do I have anything planned today?"

"You are meeting with representatives from several of Voldemort's possible allies," Becky replied after a couple of notations. "The Vampires and Giants are the two most important groups represented."

"Is Hermione awake yet?" Harry asked with a yawn.

"I believe so," Becky said after checking her ever present book.

"Why don't I meet the two of you for breakfast and we can take things from there?" Harry suggested. He was still uncomfortable with the idea of allowing his servants to help him dress himself every morning.

"As my Lord wishes," Becky agreed. "We shall be waiting."

"I'll be out in a moment," Harry said, making shooing motions towards the door.

Harry dressed himself after a quick shower and walked out to meet his girls.

"Morning Harry," Hermione said as Harry took his place at the table.

"Good morning Hermione," Harry replied. "Did Becky tell you about the meeting I'm having later today?"

"With the representatives?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Harry confirmed. "How do you two think I should handle this?"

"I would suggest that you remind them of the price for going against you," Becky said quietly. "Azkaban's forces would not have any trouble with them alone or together."

"Do we have to do that?" Hermione asked, "couldn't we persuade them not to join Voldemort without the threat of violence?"

"Diplomacy is a steel fist in a velvet glove," Becky said quietly. "It looses its effectiveness without the threat of violence."

"But a threat of violence could also make them react the wrong way," Hermione replied. "It could harden their resolve if we approach them the wrong way."

"Any objection to using the carrot and the stick?" Harry mused. "I mention violence and say I'd rather not use it . . . and then I make them an offer they can't resist."

"That could work," Hermione said slowly.

"An excellent strategy Harry," Becky agreed. "I believe that you have chosen the best possible course of action."

"Let's hope so," Harry said. "I'd rather not drive them into Voldemort's arms . . . hell, I'd be happy to keep them neutral."

"Then we shall just have to hope that you prove to be as able a diplomat as you are a ruler," Becky said with a smile. "I have faith in my Lord Azkaban's ability and I would wish you to share my faith."

"Just keep calm," Hermione suggested. "I'm sure you'll do fine."

"Let's hope so," Harry said nervously. "Is there anything I have to know before we start?"

"Hermione and I will not be allowed to attend your meeting," Becky said quietly. "The representatives requested a quiet informal atmosphere . . . I am sorry my Lord, I did not know until it was too late to change things."

"Don't worry about it," Harry waved off his servant's concerns. "Anything else planned?"

"Nothing important my Lord," Becky replied.

"Good." Harry paused to think. "Could you have the Library send up some information on the cultures I'll be dealing with?"

"I could Harry," Becky agreed. "But I believe you would be better off reading the reports from your Intelligence Division."

"I have an Intelligence Division?" Harry asked.

"Yes Harry," Becky agreed. "And the Diplomatic Corps may also have some reports that may be of use to you."

"Have them sent up," Harry agreed. "Good work Becky."

"Thank you my Lord," Becky said. The girl's cheeks pinked under her Lord's praise.

"How much time do we have before the meeting?" Harry asked.

"Your meeting is set to start after your noon meal and before your evening meal," Becky said. "Your habit of enjoying your meals with Hermine and I is well known and they did not believe that you would enjoy missing changing it to have a working meal."

"Good," Harry said with a smile. "It gives us a bit of time to study anyway, if you two are willing to help."

"Of course," Becky said.

"Sure," Hermione agreed. "We'd be happy to help."

Harry and the girls spent the day going over the materials provided by the various branches of the Azkaban government. It wasn't easy going and Harry's heart was racing as he walked down the hall to the meeting room.

"Good luck Harry," Hermione whispered to her friend as he prepared to enter the meeting room.

"I have faith that you shall do well," Becky said quietly.

"Thanks," Harry said. Harry drew up his hood then took one last breath of air before fixing his expression and entering the room.

"I'd hate to be in his shoes," Hermione said after the door closed. "It must be difficult to be thrown into something like that."

"Harry will do fine," Becky replied.

"I'm sure he will be," Hermione agreed.

"Yes well . . . may I speak with you for a moment Hermione?" Becky asked her friend nervously, "it is very important."

"What do you need?" Hermione said quickly.

"It's about Harry," Becky replied slowly. "He's very important to the Island and there are no other heirs to take his place should something happen."

"You're worried that he might get hurt if he goes after Voldemort aren't you?" Hermione replied. "I'm sure that between the two of us we can keep him from doing anything dangerous."

"There is that," Becky agreed with a frown. "But I was more concerned with the future of Azkaban, Harry needs children to protect Azkaban's royal line."

"I realise that." Hermione had a feeling that she knew where this was going.

"Would you consider a betrothal to Harry?" Becky asked quickly, "he likes you and I think you'd make a good Lady Azkaban."

"What about you?" Hermione asked quietly, "I know how you feel about Harry. Why can't you be the next Lady Azkaban?"

"I . . . it would not be proper for Harry to marry his servant." Becky licked her lips nervously and refused to meet Hermione's eye. "And the fact remains that I am his Lordship's mistress. It may be that Harry has not yet chosen me to preform that duty but I am sure that it is only a matter of time until he does. With your permission I would like to continue my tenure in that position after Harry's marriage . . . if not . . . if not, then I'm sure my Lord Azkaban could find some other position in his service where I could be of use."

"I wouldn't take him away from you," Hermione promised the smaller girl. "But don't you think Harry should have a say in this?"

"He likes you," Becky replied quietly. "And you would be a good match, I have no doubts that Harry would not be adverse to the idea if we asked him."

"Does Harry know that you're his mistress?" Hermione asked with an amused smile

"Harry has not chosen to take advantage of my services but I am sure that it is only a matter of time," Becky replied primly. "I believe that all this stress might be getting to him and I shall remain available to relieve it."

"I didn't ask that," Hermione said with a giggle. "I asked if he knew."

"I . . . believe so," Becky said slowly. "Do you think that this may be a reason that he has not chosen to call me to his bed?"

"I'm not sure," Hermione said. "On the one hand, Harry is a boy and on the other hand, he's still Harry despite that difficulty."

IIIIIIIIIIII

"Good afternoon and welcome to my Island," Harry said calmly as the delegates entered the room. "I trust you've had a pleasant time."

"Yes," the vampire agreed in a silky voice. "We have, thank you for having us Lord Azkaban."

"Please have a seat," Harry offered.

"Thank you Lord Azkaban," the vampire said. It was beginning to look like he was the group's spokesman.

"If there are no objections," Harry said. "I'd like to get right down to business."

"We have no objections to that course of action," the Vampire agreed. "Please procede your Lordship."

"I understand that you see it as being in your best interests to ally with Voldemort," Harry smiled. "But you'll also have to see that if you do so, it will be in my best interests to send my army to destroy your people so that they can not become a threat to me."

"We wouldn't dream of threatening you Lord Azkaban," the vampire said quickly and the representative began to sweat. "Only the Ministry."

"Which I have chosen to form an alliance with," Harry's grin deepened. "It is unfortunate but the fact remains that allying with Riddle's faction would make you a legitimate target."

"But sir," the vampire protested. "If we remain neutral then we will be destroyed by both sides and if we were to join the Ministry then they would not protect us."

"Assuming they didn't turn you away when you asked," Harry nodded. "That leaves you with the choice of joining me, I will protect you and I will accept you."

"Thank you my Lord Azkaban," the vampire said quickly. "I believe that we may be able to come to an agreement."

"I'm glad," Harry said calmly. "It would be a shame to have to make war on your people and it would be a greater shame to be forced to remove you from this world. Shall we get down to business?"

* * *

AN: Well, to write this I had to go back and look at some of my older chapters so I'd remember what the story line was. Man my grammar sucked, and cool it's gotten a bit better. This chapter may seem a bit short but it's about average for this fic. I am going to try to finish this soon and I think this'll be be done in a chapter or two, I think I figured out what one of the problems was and I hope I've got it beaten.

* * *

Omake: I don't recall if I posted this or not, if not enjoy.

"Hi Harry" Hermione greeted him upon her return from a shopping trip, "Look what I got."

"Action figures?"

"Not just any action figures" she replied shooting him a superior glance, "the new second war action figures."

"New second war action figures?"

"Is there an echo in here?" Hermione grinned, "yup, see; I got Harry, and crazy Harry, and Volde, and I was even able to get the new Lord of Azkaban figure."

"Let me see that" Harry took the box and began to read, "ability to eat souls . . . I don't have the ability to eat souls."

It was at this moment that Becky chose to enter the conversation by leaning over Harry's shoulder and whispering something into his ear.

In response, Harry turned to look at her with an expression of shock on his face "Really?"

Omake 02:

The girls were just sitting down to dinner when Harry walked into the room and flopped into the chair.

"Man that was a stressful meeting," Harry said. "I never want to have to do something like that again."

"Was it really that bad?" Hermione asked sympathetically.

"Worse," Harry replied.

"Would you like me to help you relax?" Becky asked with a gleam in her eye.

"Would you?" Harry said with a groan, "I've got knots in my muscles the size of a dozen snitches and my head feels like it's about to split open."

"It would be an honor to help you my Lord," Becky agreed.

"Thanks," Harry said.

"Have fun you two," Hermione said with a smirk.

Hermione awoke early the next morning and was quick to corner her friend to get all the details of what had happened the night before.

"Well?"

"Well I started out by massaging his shoulders," Becky said.

"And?" Hermione asked impatiently.

"And I also rubbed his temples," Becky replied.

"Get to the good stuff," Hermione commanded.

"Harry fell asleep after I rubbed his temples," Becky said. "I think you might be correct in your supposition that Harry may not know about that aspect of my duties . . . damn it."


	32. The Devil Wears Ice Skates

Disclaimer: Great things may come to those who wait but it also may not, your experience may vary.

The Devil Wears Ice Skates

Hermione awoke early the next morning and waited nervously for her friends to awake. Finally, after what seemed like forever, sounds of movement inside her friends room indicated that he had awoken. Gathering up all her courage, Hermione knocked on the door and entered the room.

"Good morning Harry," Hermione greeted her friend. "Good morning Becky."

"Good morning Hermione," Harry replied.

"Hello Hermione," Becky echoed.

"Could we have a moment alone Becky?" Hermione asked, "there is something I would like to discuss with Harry."

Becky froze for a second and a happy smile bloomed on her face. "Take all the time you need Hermione, I shall keep myself ready outside the door in case either of you should have a use for me." Not giving time for a any response, Becky fled the room.

"Harry," Hermione began nervously. "Becky came to me with a problem that she thinks I may be able to help her solve."

"What is it?" Harry asked in concern, "and what can I do to help her?"

"It's not so much her problem," Hermione continued. "As a problem facing the Island as a whole."

"Continue," Harry commanded.

"You don't have any children," Hermione said finally. "And every man woman and child is terrified that you'll die without a heir."

"I've already fixed things so that they won't go back to the Ministry," Harry protested.

"That doesn't matter to them," Hermione said firmly. "To them you aren't just a person, you're the ruler of Azkaban. Without a Lord of Azkaban their lives are meaningless, with a Lord they have a purpose . . . things are better under your rule then at any time in recent memory. They are afraid that you'll die and condemn them back to a life of nothingness."

"And a heir would make them happy?" Harry asked.

"A heir would make them less nervous," Hermine corrected. "To start with, Becky has asked for my help to keep you out of any more battles."

"Really?" Harry asked with a grin. "And what if I order her to take me to the next fight?"

"I suspect that she'll refuse," Hermione said coldly. "And then order her own execution for disobeying your orders."

"What?" Harry asked in shock. 

"She might only order a life imprisonment but I've never known her to take half measures," Hermione continued. "The same will happen if you try that with nearly everyone on the Island. You have to realise how important you are to them Harry."

"Fine," Harry agreed. "I won't take any stupid risks, ok?"

"I'm glad you're seeing reason," Hermione said with a relieved smile.

"Was that all?" Harry asked.

"No," Hermione said. "Just the first part of the conversation."

"What's the second part?" Harry asked.

"Remember when I mentioned that they were concerned that you didn't have a heir?" Hermione asked, "Becky has asked me to marry you and provide the Island with its next Lord."

"What?" Harry asked in shock. "What did you tell her?"

"It doesn't matter," Hermione replied. "What matters is that I'm talking to you about it."

"I see," Harry collapsed in his chair. "I'm too young to get married."

"You are the Lord of Azkaban," Hermione said gently. "Many past Lords have married younger then you and many marry just out of Hogwarts."

"What if I don't want to get married?" Harry asked.

"It is not uncommon for someone in your position to have a loveless marriage," Hermione said numbly.

"I . . ." Harry saw the look on his friend's face and bit back his retort. "I didn't say that," Harry said slowly. "I just don't think I'm ready to get married."

"I understand," Hermione's tone didn't waver.

"Why don't we try dating first?" Harry suggested, "sort of ease into things?"

"I'd like that," Hermione said in relief. "Thank you Harry."

"Happy to be of service," Harry replied. "Was that all?"

"All Becky wanted me to with you about," Hermione agreed. "But there is one more thing I thought you should know?"

"Oh?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "Becky won't admit it but I think she's getting rather frustrated with you."

"What have I done?" Harry asked quickly.

"I think it's more what you haven't done," Hermione said slowly. "She keeps waiting for you to visit her at night."

"Huh?"

"That is to say," Hermione danced around the issue. "She'd like you to call her into your bed . . . to keep it from getting too cold . . ."

"The castle has excellent central heating and . . . oh," Harry's voice squeaked.

"You have to understand that you're her hero on a white horse," Hermione explained. "Or on a Black Nightmare, this is Azkaban after all. She wants you to sweep her into your arms and carry her off into the sunset."

"I . . . what do you think I should do about this?" Harry begged.

"Well," Hermione mused. "You could always take her into your arms and make all her dreams come true."

"Didn't we just talk about marriage?" Harry asked in confusion, "and agree to date?"

"Yes we did," Hermione agreed.

"Now it may be my inexperience talking," Harry said slowly. "But I didn't think girls were supposed to fix their boyfriends up with other girls."

"Not normally," Hermione agreed.

"Then what are you doing?" Harry asked.

"I'm helping a friend," Hermione explained. "She is my friend and it would kill her to loose you."

"Then why'd she ask you to marry me?" Harry asked.

"Because she can't marry you herself," Hermione replied. "She knows she has to share you with another girl and she'd rather it be me then some bubble headed twit arranged by the diplomatic corps."

"Life was so simple when I was just the 'Boy-Who-Lived.'" Harry said sadly, "all I had to worry about was the occasional murder attempt and the occasional fan."

"And now life isn't simple," Hermione said. "If you think about it, it never was. You just exchanged one set of problems for another."

"You're right," Harry agreed. "It's time I started resolving things."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to start giving Becky a goodnight kiss," Harry said. "That should tide her until I'm ready to do more."

"What about me?" Hermione asked nervously.

"I was going to leave that up to you," Harry said with false calm.

"Then I would also like a good night kiss," Hermione said nervously. "If you don't mind."

"I'd like that," Harry replied as he wrapped his arms around his bushy haired friend. "I'd like that a lot."

The new couple shared a tender but awkward first kiss and after a moment, they reluctantly pulled apart.

"That wasn't how I expected it to be," Hermione broke the silence.

"I didn't know what to expect," Harry admitted. "But I'm sure I'll get better."

"I didn't say it was bad," Hermione hastened to say. "Just that it wasn't what I expected. It was . . . nice."

"Yes it was," Harry agreed. "Becky," He called out.

"Yes my Lord?" The girl said formally as she entered the room.

"Come here for a moment please," Harry commanded.

"What is your wish my Lord?" Becky asked nervously.

"Hermione and I have agreed to start dating," Harry began. "So I am going to be busy snogging her on occasion."

"I shall insure that there is time enough in your schedule to pursue your new relationship my Lord," Becky said happily.

"While we were talking." Harry paused to muster his courage. "Hermione mentioned that I've been neglecting you."

"I serve at my Lord's pleasure," Becky said quickly. "There can be no neglecting me my Lord."

"You are a valued member of my household," Harry said gently. "And I am sorry I haven't given you the attention you deserve."

"Yes my Lord," Becky said regarding her feet.

Harry reached out slowly and lifted the small girl's chin to give her a gentile kiss. Becky melted into Harry's arms and his arms naturally encircled her. "Now that we've brought things into the open," Harry said after a few moments. "Why don't we retire to breakfast for a more in depth discussion?"

"I'd like that Harry," Becky sighed.

"One more thing before we rejoin Hermione," Harry's voice turned serious.

"Yes Harry?"

"Hermione's birthday is coming up," Harry explained.

"I'll take care of the arrangements," Becky said quickly. "I promise that it will be perfect."

"And see if you can sound her out for me," Harry ordered. "I have no idea of what to get her, I'd normally go with books but since she got access to my library."

"I understand," Becky said with a nod. "Have you thought of getting her a piece of jewelry?"

"Jewelry?"

"More specifically a ring," Becky said hopefully. "You did agree to your betrothal and it would be prudent to make it official."

"A ring huh?" Harry mused.

"It's best to do these things properly," Becky went on. "Hermione is a practical sort of girl but she still requires a bit of romance."

"Still feels like I should get her more then that," Harry said. "She's my best friend."

"Allow me to take care of that my lord," Becky said formally. "I have an idea of a present for Lady Hermione but it would require quite a bit of time and material to construct."

"Do it," Harry said immediately. "Thank you Becky."

"I live to serve," the girl replied with a smile.

When the meal was over, Hermione leaned over to her friend and began whispering something in her ear. "Becky," Hermione whispered to the other girl. "Could you find a short errand to run?"

"Yes Hermione," Becky agreed.

"We can try kissing him together later," Hermione said to the other girl. "But there are some things I'd like to figure out on my own."

"I understand," Becky said. "And I have taken the liberty of stocking Harry's bedside table with energy potions and instruction manuals."

"I . . . thank you Becky."

"Anything for a friend," Becky replied. She hadn't bothered mentioning that the energy potions doubled as fertility potions for women, didn't seem important. "I shall be about that task you assigned me earlier Harry," she announced as she left the room.

After Becky was gone, Harry turned to his friend with a questioning look on his face.

"Harry," Hermione began nervously.

"What is it?"

"I just wanted to mention something to you while Becky was out of the room," Hermione began. "It's an aspect of Azkaban law that she wouldn't have mentioned."

"Why not?"

"It wouldn't have occurred to her that it was something strange," Hermione said. "She grew up with it so it's normal to her."

"Go on."

"It's a variation of the golden rule, he who has the gold makes the rules." Hermione lectured. "In this case, it's the Lord of Azkaban makes the rules."

"Oh . . . ok."

"And while marriage in Azkaban is generally between two people, there aren't any laws saying that one or more consenting people can't . . . uh . . . join in."

"I see."

"It'd kill her to loose you Harry."

"Yes, you mentioned that." Harry sighed. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you Harry," Hermione said as she pulled her friend into a hug. "It makes me really happy to hear you say that."

"Good," Harry agreed. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got an errand of my own to take care of."

"Meet you for lunch?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"I'll be here," Harry agreed. Harry left his apartments

It took him a few minutes, but eventually Harry was able to find someone who could direct him to his finest jeweler.

"Excuse me," Harry said as he entered the building.

"What is it?" An old man demanded. "Can't you see . . . forgive me my Lord Azkaban, I did not know it was you."

"That's fine," Harry waved off the man's apologies. "I came here because I was told that you were the finest Jeweler on the island."

"I am the current elected Master heading the guild," the man demured.

"I need a ring," Harry said bluntly. "Possibly on a golden chain."

"Might have just the thing my Lord," the old man said happily. "Tell me what you think of this."

"Very nice," Harry said as he examined the ring.

"We've had our finest enchanters go over it several times," the man continued. "It has every health and protection charm we can put onto it, along with a few other things."

"Must have taken forever to do this."

"Since Lady Granger came to the island," the man agreed. "If you'll forgive a bit of wishful thinking on our part. It's been so long since Azkaban has had a ruling family and . . ."

"Thank you," Harry interrupted. "And good work."

"Means a lot to hear you say that my Lord," the man said proudly. "Means everything."

"Would you mind doing me a favor?" Harry asked nervously.

"Anything."

"I'm going to need a couple wedding rings," Harry said. "And one more engagement ring."

"Another engagement ring my Lord?"

"Hermione insisted," Harry said with a smile. "Size this one for Becky."

"I'll do that my Lord," the man said with a grin. "May you be blessed with a thousand children, congratulations on your match."

"Try not to let Becky know about this," Harry said with a blush.

"Yes my Lord," the man agreed. "Your will be done."

AN: Well, Hell has frozen over and the devil wears Ice Skates. Sorry it took so long to write this chapter, with any luck (and I know I've said this before) I'll have more out soon. Frigging thing took me forever to write this, stupid writers block.


	33. Been A While

Disclaimer: It's been a while since I wrote this and my style has changed quite a bit, you have been warned.

Been A While

Marcus had been a Death Eater in Voldemort's service since his third year of Hogwarts. First by reporting any bit of information he came across and later as a soldier in his master's army. It had been glorious, yet it had all crashed down shortly after he'd left school when the Potter brat had managed to end the fun. He hadn't joined out of concern for the muggle encroach on wizarding culture, what did he care about some old customs. No, Marcus had joined because he loved the sense of power it gave him. Where else could a man rape, murder, and loot, without fear of punishment? What other profession gave such a sense of power?

The Dark Lord had granted Marcus a great honor, an honor that Marcus had been waiting for for years. The honor of leading a small group of Death Eaters in a raid against enemies of the pure, granted they were only muggles but Marcus never had been too picky when it came to his victims. Little did anyone know that their mission, their unimportant raid would sow the seeds of their master's destruction.

IIIIIIIIII

Ron was having his second meal of the day when a large augury flew in and landed on the table. The bird glared at him for a few moments before presenting the message on its leg.

"What do you have for me?" Ron asked the bird. "Hermione's birthday? Tell them I accept."

"What was that about Mr. Weasley?" One of the Professors asked calmly.

"Invitation to one of my best friend's birthday parties," Ron replied, "I'm going to need time off from class to get her something and I don't think I'll be back for a day or two depending on how long the party takes."

"I see . . . and why should we agree to your request?" The Professor asked. "You are doing well in your classes but I'm not sure why you should be excused to go to a simple party."

"Read this," Ron said as he presented his invitation.

"The Lord of Azkaban?" The Professor murmured in surprise. "This changes things . . . you are excused Mr. Weasley. In fact, I think this would be an excellent chance to network."

"Yes Professor," Ron agreed.

"Be sure to take the time to make some connections," the Professor ordered, "I expect you to give me a short report on how things went and what important connections you think you've made when you return. Nothing big, just a short oral report."

"Yes Professor," Ron sighed.

"You're excused from classes and homework until then," the Professor added as they turned to leave.

"Yes Professor," Ron said cheerfully, "I'll do that."

IIIIIIIIII

Fortress Azkaban was in preparation to celebrate the birth of the woman that they hoped would some day become the First Lady of Azkaban.

"More flowers," Becky ordered, "I want this day to be perfect." She stocked up to another group of workers and watched their progress with a frown. "Adequate," she said grudgingly.

"Calm down Becky," Hermione said as she walked up to her friend. A delegation from the guilds responsible for the decoration had approached her and begged her to distract their Lord's assistant. "Everything will be fine."

"It had better be," the girl growled at the nearest workers.

"It will be," Hermione said firmly, "now come on."

"Where are we going Hermione?" Becky asked as she allowed her friend to drag her away.

"Our chambers," Hermione replied, "there are some things I want you to help me with."

"What things?" Becky asked curiously.

"You'll see," Hermione said with a smirk. She really hoped she could think of an answer to that question and a way to keep her friend occupied until the workers had had a chance to finish. Honestly, all she'd wanted was a quiet little get together, why did everything have to become so complicated?

IIIIIIIIII

Marcus and his team arrived in a quaint little town on the Irish sea with murder in their hearts . . . that murder quickly changed to confusion as they walked through the streets without finding another soul.

"Where is everyone?" One of the Death Eaters asked.

"Be silent," Marcus snapped. His wand nervously tracked from building to building as he sought a target. "You know how muggles are . . ."

IIIIIIIIII

"Kissing practice?" Becky asked dryly. The two girls were sitting on the floor of Hermione's large bedroom.

"I'm sure it's like everything else," Hermione said firmly. Why oh why couldn't she have thought of something better. "You have to practice to get good. You do want to please Harry right?"

"Yes," Becky said intently, "how do we do this."

"Mum says that she and her friends used to use the backs of their hands," Hermione offered.

"And this works?"

"Dad never seemed to complain," Hermione replied with a shrug. "And we can also braid each other's hair," she continued. "It'll be like a slumber party." So she thought anyway, she'd never actually had one so she wasn't sure about all the details. "And it'll make the time pass faster so it seems like we don't have to wait so long for the party."

"Yes . . . well . . ."

"Come on Becky," Hermione pleaded. "You're the only one I can do this with."

"Very well then," Becky agreed with a happy smile, "one thing first?"

"Yes?"

"How does one braid hair?"

IIIIIIIIII

The guards watched as the small group of Death Eaters walked past them and into the town square. It hadn't been too difficult to find out what the next target would be and after that it was child's play to arrange an evacuation of the town. The team leader held up a hand with five fingers and slowly counted down.

"In the name of my Lord Azkaban I swear that I will kill you if you move," a uniformed guard ordered, "drop your wands and reach for the sky."

IIIIIIIIII

Harry was waiting in the entrance for the first guests to arrive and a smile bloomed on his face when Minerva McGonagall walked up the steps.

"I'm glad you could come Professor," Harry greeted her, "it will mean a lot to Hermione to have you here."

"I'm sure," Minerva agreed, "though I must admit that I don't normally receive invitations to my student's birthday parties."

"I'm afraid that this is more of a state function then a birthday party," Harry said with a wince, "not that we wouldn't have invited you if it were. Just that . . ."

"I understand Mr. Potter," Minerva said with a good natured smile, "where is the birthday girl anyway?"

"Distracting my assistant," Harry replied, "Becky wants things to be perfect and I'm afraid that things get difficult for the workers when Becky is too enthusiastic about something."

"I understand," Minerva assured him, "and I know the type well. Why, there was once . . ."

"Excuse me for one minute Professor," Harry interrupted to Minerva. "I'm afraid that there is an issue that requires my immediate attention." He walked across the room to the guard that had waved to him and commenced a hurried conversation in whispers. With one last nod, Harry returned to his former Head of House. "Sorry about that, matters of state you understand.

"Of course," Minerva agreed, "I understand very well what it's like to have responsibilities."

"Thank you for your understanding Professor."

IIIIIIIIII

Only hours after they'd triumphantly embarked on their raid, the battered remains of Marcus's once mighty team of Death Eaters limped into their master's hiding place to report their failure.

"What has happened?" Voldemort growled.

"Azkaban was waiting for us master," Marcus said in a voice devoid of emotion, "and the town was empty of muggles."

"How dare you fail me," Voldemort screamed, "CRUCIO."

Marcus endured his master's displeasure with uncharacteristic stoicism. On every other occasion that Marcus had suffered for his master's amusement, he'd writhed and screamed his throat raw, this time he simply grit his teeth and taken the punishment in silence.

"You will not fail me again," Voldemort growled, "do you understand me? This failure shall not be forgiven again."

IIIIIIIIII

Becky rose from the bed and used a couple quick charms to fix Hermione's make up and to smooth the girl's dress.

"Time to start then?" Hermione asked as she used her wand to freshen up the other girl.

"It's time," Becky agreed. She escorted Hermione out of the room and where Harry stood waiting.

"Ready to do this?" Harry asked as he offered his arm to Hermione.

"I guess," Hermione agreed nervously.

"Be sure to leave time for something more private after this Becky," Harry ordered, "just the three of us."

"Thy will be done my Lord," Becky agreed. With a deep breath, she threw open the doors to the ball room and walked in. "Presenting my Lord Azkaban and Hermione Granger our guest of honor," she announced.

Hermione's grip on Harry's arm tightened as every eye in the room turned to look at her and she nearly fainted when the Azkaban citizens in the crowd began cheering the woman they hoped would continue the island's royal line.

IIIIIIIIII

Marcus dragged himself away from the Dark Lord's throne to the corner where the survivors of his ill fated raid had gathered themselves.

"You okay?" One of them asked thickly.

"We knew the score when we joined," Marcus replied, "help me up."

"Just rest a bit."

"I said help me up," Marcus growled, "the meeting is breaking up and we need to get out of this room."

"Right, come on then."

IIIIIIIIII

"Some party eh' mate?" Ron asked with a grin.

"Yeah," Ron agreed, "uh . . ."

"What is it Mate?"

"Ron . . ." Harry began, "there's something I have to tell you."

"You and Hermione are dating aren't you?" Ron asked with a grin.

"How'd you know?" Harry asked, "we just talked about it."

"It's the only reason I could think of for you to be so nervous," Ron said smugly. "We've known each other a long time mate and I can read you like a book, how else do you think I can beat you at chess?"

"I . . . well . . . there's something else I need to tell you," Harry said nervously.

"What is it mate?" Ron asked with a grin.

"I'm the Lord of Caer Azkaban," Harry said quickly. "I'm descended from the last Lord from my mum's side."

"Better you then me mate," Ron said with a laugh. "I can't imagine how much work it must be."

"Huh?" Harry was dumbfounded.

"A lot of the students in my school are planning to work for the government," Ron explained. "So there are a lot of classes on administration . . . mandatory classes on administration. Like I said, better you then me. I barely got through those damn classes, I can't imagine having to do your job."

"So tell me about your school," Harry suggested. "How do you like it?"

"I love it," Ron said. "There are only three other people on campus that can regularly win against me and I can always be guaranteed a good game."

"Tell me about them," Harry prompted.

"There's Boris," Ron began. "I'm up by thirty but he's still very good, just has problems with the way I play. There's Natasha, she's Boris's girlfriend and I'm only up by ten with her. She's very good, keeps me on my toes when I play her."

"The third?"

"Her name is Anastasia," Ron said with a dreamy smile. "I'm up by two and that's only because I got lucky, she's very very good."

"Oh?"

"I've never met a girl that could play like her," Ron said. "She can focus on the game with one part of her brain and do something else with the other half, I've seen her study for a test during a game, win the game and score high on the test."

"Sounds like Hermione," Harry said slowly.

"Nah," Ron dismissed Harry's observation. "She's not a bookworm, she just doesn't believe in wasting time. She says that she does it so that she can have more time to herself later in the day."

"You asked her out yet?" Harry asked with a sly grin.

"Not sure how to mate," Ron admitted. "Any ideas?"

"Well . . . I wouldn't recommend having your mistress get tired of waiting and take it upon herself to ask her," Harry said after a moment of thought. "It worked but it was awkward."

"Mistress?"

"Best just to ask," Harry said after another moment. "Worse that can happen is that she'll say no."

"And the best that can happen is that she'll say yes," Ron agreed.

"Might also be a good idea to set things up first so that she's in a good mood," Harry said quickly. "What would happen if you let her win a game?"

"She'd cut my bullocks off if she knew," Ron said with a shake of his head. "But maybe if I kept her on the defensive, made it so she had to keep all of her focus on the game."

"Uh . . . could work," Harry ventured cautiously.

"I gotta go practice," Ron said in a daze.

"Use the library," Harry suggested. "Lots of books on chess there too I'd bet."

"Thanks Harry," Ron said as he wandered off.

"Becky," Harry called out.

"Yes my Lord?"

"Have someone take him to the library," Harry ordered. "And see if you can round up some of the island's chess masters. I want to get him as much practice as we can give him before he goes back to Russia."

"I'll see to it my Lord."

AN: Goes Here

Omake by TheWraith1

Somewhere deep underground in Dark Lord's lair  
"WORMTAIL! Where are you, you miserable rodent" screamed Voldermort in apparent fury. Wormtail gulped in dread and fear as he ran to the doors leading into Voldermort's inner chambers

"Hey man you better get in there quick... he's wearing THE OUTFIT just so you know" Mumbled Random DE 2960. At this Wormtail's pale face took on a color more suited to the undead then the living as he opened the doors into the dark mage's chambers

"Ahh Wormtail so good of you to join me I've already laid out your costume and skates over there" Voldemort who was behind a changing screen motioned with an exposed arm to a pile of garish looking clothes under a pair of what appeared to be ice skates

"Not to question your most evilness's genius but why did you get me a costume and ice skates?" questioned the trembling Wormtail.

"Why I would think it obvious even to you Wormtail, I'm practcing for the nationals" Stated Voldemort as he stepped from behind the screen in an outfit that can only be described as scary beyond all reason

in the distantance all fashion conscious people of both sexes wail and shriek "ANYTHING BUT THAT"

"What was that? No matter Wormtail get dressed and put on those skates immediately" Wormtail rushed to obey his master's command suffice to say I will not describe Wormtail's clothes changing (I want to keep this under NC-17 thank you) as a common courtesy

"But master I thought they had banned you from figure skating because you killed all your competitors for showing you up in your last competition?" Wormtail cringed in expectation of the oncoming Cruaticus(Spelling?) when no curse came Wormtail dared to look at his masters face only to go cold with fear at the postively grinning look at the dark lord's face

"Ahh for once you're right Wormtail, but they only banned me from singles figure skating not pairs and guess who my partner is going to be" Said the grinning dark lord Wormtail somehow turned paler "And you better not drop me when I do my triple axels or there'll be hell to pay" Voldemort declared in a sing-song voice

I knew I should have followed my mother's advice and become a cauldron bottom thickness inspector but no I had to be a evil henchmen "Conquer the world "they said "Pick up up hot girls they said" HA! last time I listen to a recruiter that looks like he's missing more then just his teeth Thought Wormtail to himself

Omake by Ed Becerra

Those two Chief Inspectors from around, what, chapter 18? I saw them sitting around, chewing the fat, comparing various annoyances from their respective careers.

"We spend a lot of our time dealing with idiots who think a wand

makes them almighty, and that pranking the rest of England is funny."

"How's that make them any different from the football rowdies?"

"Well, we had ONE bright lad who began charming toilet seats to bite the people who used them. We simply couldn't have that, and we made certain that the punishment would fit the crime."

"I have to ask. What did you do to him?"

"He wasn't allowed to use indoor plumbing for a year. If he had to move his bowels, he had to go outdoors, dig a cathole in his back yard with a garden trowel, squat, do his business, then cover it up. While the world watched him. Not that anyone cared to."

"Heh. He learned to appreciate the glories of water closets, I'll wager."

"That he did, Inspector, that he did."

Omake by dogbertcarroll

Harry waited patiently, if confusedly, for Hermione's timer spell to go off. He was dressed all in black, naturally, and for some reason had a pair of muggle pantyhose over his head to disguise his features.

'I could have just changed my looks, Tonks is a great teacher, but Hermione insists I wear these things.'

The timing spell turned red and Harry rushed into the room.

"Panty Raid!" He yelled grabbing the girls' undergarments from the bed where they had piled them while changing and rushed out.

'Why did Hermione insist I do this? Oh, Yeah. Muggle tradition.'

Omake by David Brown

Molly and Ginny Weasley were sitting down to Tea one quiet afternoon a few days before the end of August, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door. Molly opened the door to reveal an Azkaban solder.

"Pardon the intrusion, Madam, but may I have a word with Miss Weasley?"

"It's about that bird, isn't it. Please come in." They walked to the kitchen, where Ginny was sipping her tea, while happily hand feeding her augury a bit of blueberry scone.

"Ginny, I'm afraid that one of Lord Azkaban's men is here for his bird." Ginny stopped smiling, a frown appearing on her face.

"Mrs. Weasley, I'm afraid we have a bit of a misunderstanding. Lord Azkaban has already given permission for your daughter to keep this augury, and I dare she he wouldn't be happy anywhere else. Miss Weasley, with my Lord's compliments." The young enlisted man handed a  
wrapped package to Ginny.

Ginny opened the package to uncover a book entitled, "The Care and Feeding of Auguries, by Aengus McRavaen"

"Thank you very much, and please thank Lord Azkaban for me."

"Of course, Miss Weasley. Excuse me, Madam, Miss. I must return to my duties." The soldier left.

Half an hour later, Ginny approached her mother, carrying a very sharp hatchet. "Mum, would you mind if I were to harvest one of the garden gnomes? It seems that my cutie pie here has a taste for gnome liver, yes he does, and we have plenty of gnomes. Please, mum?"

**Omake by tgravests**

"Oh, really?" Becky smiled slyly. "Then let me read you all the reports."

Harry groaned.

Fifteen minutes later he was slowly falling asleep.

"...the next is new prisoners list. The names are Rob Tuboring, Anna Zebozer, Rupert Green, Tom Riddle, Sam..."

Becky stopped after Hermione had fallen from the chair followed by several books.

"WHAT?" Harry was not asleep anymore. Not a little bit.

"What is it Harry?" asked Becky.

"Rrrr... R-riddle?" Hermione forced herself to speak.

Harry was simply staring at Becky.

"Yes. Someone you know?"

"Yyyess," Hermione slowly hissed.

"He was arrested among eighteen others during yesterday's ambush," said Becky looking at the list. "Heavily burned, healers are thinking he won't live for long, so he was given veritaserum. His name was the only thing he said before he lost consciousness."

IIIIIIIIII

Harry was pacing near the door of the cell.

"Azkaban Military is being effective? Just that?"

"Yes, My Lord" Maxwell answered calmly.

"You don't have to kill him," said Hermione. "He may die himself."

"Either must die at the hand of the other... Does Azkaban Military count as my hand?" Harry wondered.

"Well..." clearly Hermione was not sure.

"Damn! Always bloody riddles with that Riddle! Damn!" Harry hit the wall with hist fist. The wall shaked and several bricks fell out of it. One of them hit Voldemort's head.

"I don't know about Military. But this certainly counts as 'at your hand'," said Becky after she checked obviously dead body.

"We are sorry, My Lord. The wall is recent, it was built two days ago to immure one of the Dementors. It takes a week for brickwork to harden. The prisoner was almost dead so we thought it was not dangerous to put him in the cell with fresh wall. Do you want to punish guilty guards yourself, My Lord?"

"Punish?" Harry asked with incredible intonation.


	34. The End

Disclaimer: They say good things come to those who wait, they also say that the early bird catches the worm, I wish they'd make up their damn minds. Sorry it took so long.

The End

After excusing themselves from the main party, our three heros returned to their apartments and were soon sitting on Harry's bed having the private gathering he'd promised earlier that night.

"Here you are, Hermione." Becky handed a large object wrapped in a metallic gold paper to her friend. "I thought it prudent to wait until after we'd retired from the public party to give this to you."

"What's this?" Hermione asked as she unwrapped the package.

"It is a book," Becky replied. "Much like the one I carry but it is connected to the library rather then the records."

"Thank you Becky." Hermione lit up. "It's perfect."

"It was . . ."

"Very thoughtful of you," Harry interrupted with a smile. "Good work." He wasn't the sort to take credit for his assistant's thoughtfulness.

"I . . . thank you my Lord," Becky said with a shy smile.

"And here's my gift for you," Harry said as he handed her a small jewelry box.

"It's beautiful," Hermione gasped as she opened the box and stared down at the ornate ring and simple gold chain.

"Took the finest craftsmen I have months to build," Harry said proudly. "They've been working on it since you came to the island."

"Becky?" Hermione gasped.

"Something they did on their own accord," Becky explained. "The guild master said it was all account of some wishful thinking on his part."

"I don't know what to say," Hermione said tearfully. "Harry, would you put it on for me?"

"Of course," he agreed.

Hermione pulled her hair up to make it easier for him and shivered in pleasure as his fingers dragged across the back of her neck.

"Did you?" Hermione whispered hopefully.

"We can put it on your finger after the second one is finished," Harry replied softly. "I . . ." whatever he was about to say was interrupted by a knock at the door. With a sigh, Harry walked to the door and opened it to reveal three of his bodyguards.

"What is it?" Harry asked curtly.

"Sir," one of the men said reluctantly, "you ordered us to report when we were ready?"

"Yes I did," Harry agreed, a touch calmer, "is everything in place?"

"It is my Lord," he agreed.

"Execute," Harry ordered, "and keep me appraised."

"It shall be done my Lord," he agreed.

"Harry what's going on?" Hermione asked.

"Later," Harry said firmly, "it's business and we can deal with that after your birthday."

"Becky?"

"Harry has not seen fit to bring me into his confidence on this matter," Becky replied.

"And that is because I didn't want to put you in an situation where you'd have to choose between me and Hermione," Harry said quickly, "not because I don't trust you . . . either of you."

"Be that as it may," Becky continued, "you know what my choice would have been my Lord."

"I know. I'd still rather not put you in that position," Harry said firmly, "enough business. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Becky said quickly.

"For now," Hermione said reluctantly, "but I want to know what this is all about."

"You'll both know everything soon," Harry said, "now then . . . what's this I hear about practice?"

"I believe a demonstration would be the best way of explaining it, Harry," Becky said with an eager smile. "Hermione, would you like to demonstrate first?"

"This one's all you," Hermione replied, "wouldn't be fair to go first all the time."

"I . . ." Becky closed her mouth with a snap. She was about to say something about how it wouldn't be proper. "I suppose it couldn't hurt," Becky justified to herself, "to go first."

"What was that?" Harry asked.

"I . . . thank you, Hermione," Becky said louder. "Now then, might I show you what we have learned?"

"I'd like that," Harry said. He opened his arms in invitation. "Come over here, Becky."

"As my Lord commands," she agreed happily.

IIIIIIIIII

Four teams of four took positions in the hills and fields directly north, south, east, and west of the old Riddle house. Each had been given the mission of finding a suitable position an observation post, and later a location to anchor a set of ward stones.

"We're in," the team commander whispered into his watch, "no indication that we've been compromised." He listened to his instructions before hunkering down next to his partner.

"What's the word?"

"Remain in place," the team commander replied. "Keep an eye on the house, and hope like hell no one notices us."

"Right."

IIIIIIIIII

'Marcus' walked up to Commander Maxwell, head of the guard, and saluted.

"Sir, Happy to report a successful infiltration."

"Why is your hand trembling?" The head of Azkaban's military forces asked mildly.

"Exposure to Crucio, Sir."

"Get that looked at after your report," Maxwell said calmly.

"Sir."

"Do we know when the next gathering is going to be?"

"No, sir. Intelligence reports seem to be correct."

"Shame he wasn't completely incompetent," Maxwell sighed, "would have been so much easier to be able to do this on a time table."

"As you say, sir."

"Your orders are to remain in place until the next major meeting," Maxwell's voice hardened. "When you feel the wards go up, you are to sow as much confusion as possible before making your escape."

"By your command," the polyjuiced islander agreed.

"Lord Azkaban has ordered you to make team survival a priority," Maxwell continued, "he states that the unnecessary death of any of his men is not to be tolerated."

"Yes, sir. I will take all the proper precautions but should my death be necessary then I will show the world why Azkaban is to be feared."

"Do you have anything else to report?"

"No, sir."

"Dismissed."

IIIIIIIIII

Ron's mouth was dry as he stared down at the chess board. Despite his attempt to keep focused, his eyes kept flicking up to inspect his opponent's face.

'I just gotta find an opening and make my move,' he thought to himself. 'it's just like chess. No need to rush things, just wait for the right moment.'

"You gonna stare at me all day, or are you going to make your move?" his opponent asked with a sultry grin. She stretched, causing the buttons on her shirt to strain in ways that captured Ron's full attention.

"Er." Ron glanced down at the board and made a motion to his Knight. "Check," he said nervously.

"Hmmm," the girl focused on the board. "Good move."

"Mate in three," Ron offered casually.

"I see it," she agreed. She sighed. "And I don't see any way out of it either, least nothing obvious."

"So you want to uh . . . do something together later?" Ron asked nervously.

"I'd love another game," she agreed absently. Her attention still focused on the board.

"I didn't mean that," Ron backpedaled. "But I'd love another game too . . . I was thinking . . . uh, it's so hard to find a decent partner."

"Isn't it?"

"So once you find one, you shouldn't let her go." Ron babbled. "I already know that you're a good chess partner and I'd like to find out if we might . . . uh."

A playful grin appeared on her face. "Are you asking me to go out with you?"

"Trying to," Ron croaked.

"Good, I was wondering when you'd get around to it. Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes," she said as she made her move. "That's mate."

"What?" Ron stared at the board in shock.

"That puts me one behind," she said coyly. "Let's hope this arrangement of ours works out. One hundred games isn't enough, think how many we could have in the long term."

"I can't believe I fell for that," Ron said in shock. The boy was still focused on the board. "Wanna go get something to eat?"

"They have boards set into the tables at that place near the west gate," the girl said thoughtfully. "And private booths where we can . . . uh." Her face was as red as his hair.

"Get to know each other?"

"Yes, that."

IIIIIIIIII

As he awoke, Harry quickly became aware that this morning was very different from the all ones that had preceded it, for one thing, there was a pool of warmth on either side that told him he had not spent the night alone, for another, he was filled with a sense of contentment, having spent the best night's sleep he could remember.

He turned his head to find his assistant looking back at him through half lidded eyes. "Mmmmmorning my Lord," Becky purred. Looking for all the world like the cat that ate the canary. "I've taken the liberty of clearing your morning schedule in case you should desire to lounge about in bed for the next few hours," she added a touch hopefully.

Harry pulled the girl close. "I think that would be a prudent course of action," he whispered.

"Is Hermione awake?" Becky asked as she cuddled up to Harry's side.

"Doesn't look like it," Harry murmured.

"Then with your permission, I shall return to my dreams."

"Granted," Harry said softly. He placed a tender kiss on her brow.

"Thank you, my Harry," Becky sighed.

Harry gently detached himself from the two girls and stepped into his sitting room and pulled the bell cord to summon his breakfast. It was nice to be able to do things for himself again, the boy reflected to himself.

"Commander Maxwell wishes to have a word with you, my Lord," the guard that accompanied his breakfast reported.

Harry sat down and took his first bite. "Tell him that he can come to me or I can come to him," Harry said. "Whichever is most convenient."

"He's waiting outside, sir."

"Excellent," Harry said with a smile. "Send him in."

The guard opened the door and stood at ridged attention as the commander of Azkaban's military entered the room.

"My Lord," the man said with a salute.

"Have a seat." Harry waved the man towards Hermione's usual spot. "Had anything to eat?"

"Yes, my Lord," the general said respectfully.

"What news do you have for me?"

"Five of seven indicators point to optimal conditions for an assault later today," Commander Maxwell reported.

Harry put down his fork. "You have operational control, do whatever you think is best."

"Yes, my Lord. Thank you, my Lord."

"I want to be informed immediately if you decide to move," Harry continued seriously. "No matter what time it is or what I'm doing at the time."

"Understood, my Lord."

"Was there anything else?" The smile returned to Harry's face.

"Madame Bones wishes to have her forces take part in the assault force, my Lord," the Commander said stiffly.

"Can you use them?"

"Depends on who she sends, my Lord." The Commander frowned. " McAlister, wished me to pass along his strong recommendation that we accept."

"Accept then," Harry ordered. "Use them if you can, shuffle them off to something unimportant if you can't."

"Thy will be done, my Lord."

"That all?"

"Every subject I wished to breach, my Lord."

"Anything you need to be personally involved in for the next hour or so?" Harry asked.

"Nothing, my Lord."

"Then there's a personal matter I'd like to discuss with you." A smile lit Harry's face. "If you don't mind, of course."

"I am at your service, my Lord."

IIIIIIIIII

Hermione snuggled into the warm lump by her side and it was several minutes before she realized that the lump was much softer then it should have been.

"Where's Harry?" she asked sleepily.

"My Harry?" Becky mumbled. "Her eyes scanned the bed. My Lord?" She was suddenly alert.

"Probably in the other room," Hermione said soothingly. "No sense getting worked up until we're sure we don't know where he is."

"You are correct, Hermione," Becky agreed. "Let us check."

The two girls stepped off the bed and onto the thick carpet that covered the floor of Harry's bedchamber and walked to the door that separated it from the sitting room.

The tension disappeared from Becky's shoulders when she saw her Lord calmly eating his breakfast with Azkaban's military Commander.

"My Lord," Becky sighed.

"Good morning again," Harry said cheerfully. "Wanted to let you two sleep in."

"My place is by your side, my Lord," Becky reproached.

"And I would not have left my living quarters without you unless there was an emergency," Harry assured his assistant. He turned back to his meal time companion. "Thanks for the advice," Harry said gratefully.

"Not a problem, my Lord," the Commander said with a grin. "Just remember that your word is law, that usually overcomes most objections."

"Right," Harry laughed.

"Now if you will excuse me, my Lord. Madame Bones should be in her office by now."

"Go ahead," Harry agreed.

"Then I shall take my leave, my Lord," Commander Maxwell saluted once more before leaving the room.

IIIIIIIIII

As it happened, Amelia was in her new office and had been for quite some time when the flames changed color, indicating an incoming call.

A hopeful smile appeared on the Minister's face when she recognized the wrinkled face of Abaleric McAlister, the Chief of Azkabans' Foreign Service.

"What's the news?" she asked.

"After giving careful consideration to your request, my Lord Azkaban has decided to grant it. Please place your forces on high alert."

"Will do, and please pass along the Ministry's thanks to Lord Azkaban for a chance to help clean up the mess we should have taken care of a long time ago."

"I shall," the man promised as the flames returned to normal.

Amelia stepped out of her office and made the short trip down to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

She was swarmed by eager Aurors the moment she walked into the door.

"They accept our offer, boss?" one of them asked hopefully.

"They did," Amelia agreed. "Department's on lockdown for the next twenty four hours."

She waited until the cheers subsided to continue, "Gather everyone round. Have a couple issues you need to be made aware of."

"You got it, boss."

Amelia took a deep breath before she began her speech. "First of all, I think you should know that I am not going to authorize the use of Unforgivables. I'm sorry but it's just not politically feasible."

She sighed, she'd thought that she'd be able to avoid all that when she became Minister, she'd been wrong. "That said I would like to point out that the entire operation is under the command of the Lord of Azkaban and that in the unlikely even that any of you go on trial for anything related to your actions this night and assuming that you are convicted, it's likely that you won't be on Azkaban island for more then two seconds before you're made a citizen."

"Got it boss," the Chief Auror agreed. "It's what we expected anyway."

IIIIIIIIII

The guard glanced down at the pulsating mark on the imprisoned Death Eater's arm and a smile formed on the man's face as he realized what it could mean. Dropping everything, the man rushed down the hallway to report the activity.

Maxwell took the news calmly. "Well, looks like this is it. The mark's activated on every Death Eater we've got. Take your Polyjuice, go in, and get me the confirmation we need."

'Marcus' glanced around, checking to make sure the potion had worked and that every member of his team was disguised. "For the Lord Azkaban," he cheered.

"For the Lord Azkaban," his team echoed.

"Good luck." Commander Maxwell watched as they filed out. "And don't die."

IIIIIIIIII

Harry and the girls were just finishing up their meal when a breathless courier arrived to share the news.

"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Looks like it's time," Harry replied.

"What's . . . Voldemort?" the girl bit her lip in distress. "You're not going, Harry."

"I must agree, my Lord," Becky stated formally. "Your life is too important to risk."

"And my skill level is far too low to do any good," Harry added with a frown. "Relax. I'm not going anywhere until the fighting is over."

"And then?" Hermione prompted.

"Then I'll make sure things are finished, once and for all."

IIIIIIIIII

Above the old Riddle estate, the teams watched as Death Eaters began to appear.

"Report that we've got increased activity," the detachment leader ordered. "And tell them that it looks like this is it."

"Yes, sir."

IIIIIIIIII

The men lined up in formation with their gear at their feet, each man wondering if it was just another drill or if they would finally get a chance to cut out the cancer that had infected the United Kingdom.

They watched as their officers marched to their places and their hearts sunk when they did not see any signs of excitement. Another drill, then. Another chance missed and another day the bastards would live to see.

Hope surged as their commander cracked a smile. "Mount up, time to make the bastards die for their false Lord."

IIIIIIIIII

As his men prepared to go into battle Harry paced back and fourth thoughts whirling. Fists clenched and teeth ground tightly together, Harry cast another longing glance at the door. It was almost unbearable, the knowledge that his men were going into harms way without their Lord along to share the risks. It felt like a betrayal, knowing that his men would be fighting and dying while he remained safely within fortress Azkaban.

A timid knock on the door interrupted Harry's musings. He flung open the door and glared down at the little man on the other side.

"It had better be good." Harry's face was stormy. "I left orders that I was not to be disturbed with non-military matters."

"It's finished, my Lord," the jeweler said nervously. "I managed to get it done earlier then expected."

"And I also ordered you to bring it straight to me as soon as it was done," Harry sighed. "I apologize for my earlier outburst."

"I understand, my Lord." The man gave a tight smile. "My oldest boy's unit is out there right now. S'why I got the ring finished so quickly, anything to take my mind of what could be happening to my son."

IIIIIIIIII

Marcus gave the nod to one of the others to send confirmation. The Dark Lord Voldemort had not chosen to form his full host but he had gathered enough so that any stragglers could be hunted down and terminated at leisure.

Doing their best not to draw any attention, the team ghosted out of the room, reassembling at the edge of the wards.

"Thunder," a voice whispered from the shadows.

"Flash," Marcus whispered back.

"Losses?"

"None."

IIIIIIIIII

Voldemort leapt to his feet as the wards were wrenched from his control. What fool would dare to assault the Dark Lord in his own lair?

"Death Eaters, to me!" He ordered.

IIIIIIIIII

Maxwell stood with his arms crossed on a hill overlooking the old Riddle manor enjoying the calm before the storm, enjoying the last moments of peace before it was shattered by the coming battle.

"Sir," one of his aids spoke up. "We've got a dozen wards over theirs."

"How many layers can we manage?"

"A dozen," the man reported. "Should we begin the assault?"

"We control their wards?" Maxwell demanded, needing to be absolutely sure.

"We do, sir."

"Then hang the assault, fire the place and give the bastards a choice between death by fire inside and death by spell outside.

"Yes, sir," the aid agreed with a cold smile. Not even the most idiotic glory seeker had relished the idea of digging the terrorists out by hand.

Within minutes of the order being given, the wards against fire had fallen and the air filled with spells to set alight Voldemort's last strong hold.

IIIIIIIIII

Harry caught Hermione's eye as he returned to his bedchamber and gave her a slow nod, to which the girl replied with a wide smile.

"Becky," he barked.

"My Lord?"

"My upbringing simply will not permit me to keep you as a mistress," Harry said to his pretty aide.

Schooling her face into impassivity, she replied, "I understand, my lord."

He smiled. "No, I don't think you do. You see, I can't possibly hurt Hermione either, because I've already said that I'd like to make her Lady Azkaban someday." He put his hand on Becky shoulder. "Besides, Hermione isn't the only one I'd be lost without." He let his hand slide over, and he brushed his thumb down her cheek, making her lean into it unconsciously. "I think I'll just have to make a new law for Azkaban, that the Lord is permitted more than one wife."

"My Lord?" she asked, startled.

"Besides, what does it say when I take a wife from outside Azkaban's shores to become Lady Azkaban, when there is a woman here who could do the job?" He smiled. "It doesn't hurt that she's more than pleasant to look at. Waking up and seeing your face every morning is something I look forward to, Becky, just like Hermione. We already seem to be acting like we're married, so why not make it  
official someday?"

"But . my Lord," she stammered, dropping her face to look at the floor. "It wouldn't be proper! I am but a lowly servant!"

He lifted her face. "I was just another wizard who had no idea of how to run a country until this pretty young lady with her book came along and helped me get an understanding of the way things work here." He laughed. "Isn't it amazing that the two women in my life who mean everything to me both find books incredibly important?"

He shook his head. "The point is that I would not be half as good at ruling if not for a certain 'lowly servant', Becky. To me, you are anything but lowly. I couldn't run this place without you. Why not do it from beside me, rather than beneath me?"

She blushed furiously for just a moment. Harry caught her eyes sparkling, and suddenly realized what she must have had run through her mind. "Later, Becky." Her eyes widened, but she shook her head. "You're not the only one who's mind can go in those directions, milady."

"I am no lady," she finally said, the blush fading. "You deserve a high-born woman as your wife."

Harry looked over to Hermione. "Are you nobility?"

"Not unless 'dentist' is a rank of nobility I've never heard of," she replied.

He looked in her eyes and willed her to understand what he was about to say. "Well then, I guess that our wedding will have to be cancelled, Hermione. Becky says that I can't change the laws to allow me to marry her as well because she's not nobility." He hoped that his eyes were giving her enough information.

Hermione looked at him for a moment and then became thoughtful. "Actually, I believe that you're correct. I understand having to cancel our nuptials. Shall I begin the process of finding you a suitable wife?"

Becky looked stricken. "But ."

"If you're too low-born for him, then so am I," Hermione said. She pulled the girl into a hug and whispered, "Besides, if he's willing to change the laws to marry you, I think that he'll find a way to marry you. If I have to share him, at least it's with you." She kissed the crying girl on the cheek.

Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out an ornate ring on a gold chain, similar to the one he'd presented Hermione with the day before.

"Do you want this, Becky?" Harry asked.

"I want it very much, my Lord, but . . ."

"Then take it," he said gently. "Please."

"Thank you, my lord," Becky whispered. "Would you help me put it on, Hermione?"

"I would be delighted," Hermione agreed.

IIIIIIIIII

Knowing that they were doomed, the trapped Death Eaters sortied several times in an attempt to break out of the trap they'd found themselves in. Each ended in failure, littering the grounds with the corpses of the Dark Lord's feared army.

As they fire grew, so to did the desperation of the last surviving Death Eaters. Deciding that it was better to die like men with their wands in their hands than it was to be burned to death, they decided to stage one last break out.

Grins appeared on the faces of the besiegers as some mysterious sense informed them that the battle had nearly reached its conclusion.

Bursts of spell fire cut down each of the rats fleeing the castle long before they had a chance to reach the ward line to transport themselves to safety. Once again the forces of Azkaban had taken the field and once again they'd been granted their victory.

"Find the Dark Lord," Maxwell ordered. "Find Voldemort, I wish to present our Lord with his head."

"What about the wounded, sir?" One of his aids asked.

"Feed them to the Dementors," Maxwell barked. "Show them the same mercy they'd have shown us."

"Sir." The man clicked his heels before making an about face and leaving to carry out the order.

IIIIIIIIII

Harry flung open the door to find an orderly standing in a rigid posture of attention. "Yes?"

"Commander Maxwell's compliments, my Lord. He bade me to report that we have met the enemy forces and we have crushed them. Our side reports no losses, theirs suffered one hundred percent thought Commander Maxwell regretfully adds that not all the rats were present when we sprung the trap."

"Voldemort?"

"If my Lord would look out his south window, I believe the men have a present for him on the lawn," the orderly reported.

Harry walked to the window and looked down to see two of his soldiers holding a pike upon which was the head of Tom Riddle. Without thinking, Harry raised his right hand and gave a small wave. "Hello."

"Take a letter," Harry barked.

"My Lord," the orderly agreed.

"My sincerest thanks and congratulations to the brave soldiers of Azkaban who have brought me this victory, I promise that my thanks will come in tangable form upon your return."

"Is that all, my Lord?"

"For now," Harry agreed. "Dismissed."

"Yes, my Lord."

IIIIIIIIII

Azkaban, two years later:

Harry sat ramrod straight in the back of his carriage, Hermione on the left and Becky on the right, as it pulled away from the castle. Of all the duties he'd assumed when he'd become Azkaban's leader, this was by far the most difficult.

"I don't see why we couldn't have put this off for a week or two," Harry grumbled.

"The people wish to celebrate with you, Harry," Becky sighed, laying her head on his shoulder. "It is only fair that you make an appearance."

"It's just as difficult for us," Hermione said firmly. "Besides, it won't take that long for the carriage to make a circle around the town and back to the castle."

"You relayed my orders?" Harry asked calmly.

"Anyone disturbing us had better have a damn good reason or be capable of living without their head," Hermione giggled.

"Good."

The streets were lined with flowers and crowds cheering themselves horse as the carriage carrying the Lord and new Ladies Azkaban passed by.

"Wave to the people, Harry," Becky whispered as she held up her hand.

"And smile," Hermione added.

"We'll tell the driver to hurry up if you do," Becky promised.

"Deal," Harry agreed.

"AZKABAN AZKABAN AZKABAN," the crowd chanted, delirious with joy.

AN: This will be a multi part note for a number of reasons.

The first thing I'd like to say is that I've got a short story published, links to it can be found in my author profile.

The second thing I'd like to say before getting to the rest of the AN is that I am glad this is over, it's my first big fic and I was afraid that I'd never be able to finish it. Good to see that I was wrong.

I found my problem with not being able to write more chapters. I had a battle scene half written, a great duel between Harry and Volde while their armies fought each other. There were several problems with this, I had already established that Azkaban had the best troops in the world and I've never had much respect for death eaters. Another problem is that it's been done several time, many severals of times. And finally, Harry has a bunch of people that would do their best to keep him away . . . come to think of it, almost everyone in the story would try to keep him away from any danger until he had a heir. I just couldn't do it and that kept things from being written.

Thanks given for the metric tons of polish applied by dogbertcarroll

Scene by Keith McComb (You can see the unaltered version below).

OMAKE: Strike Team Alpha Returns

"Someone from the Minister's office has called," Hermione bit her lip to hold in the laughter. "They want to know if you'd be willing to send Strike Team Alpha to help secure the Minister."

"Strike Team Alpha?" Harry's eyes bulged. "I didn't know I had a Strike Team Alpha . . . Becky?"

"I am unaware of any Azkaban forces that go by that designation Harry," Becky began checking her book. "And I cannot find any mention of them in the records."

"That's because they're house elves," Hermione couldn't hold back the laughter any longer. "Winky got angry at some dumb reporter for writing nasty things about you."

"Winky?" Harry asked.

"Nasty things?" Becky growled.

"Yup," Hermione agreed. "She busted up the offices and told them to 'never write bad things about Harry Potter sir.' They dumped the article on you and wrote one about the Ministry's elite team of House Elf Commandos AKA Strike Team Alpha."

"I see," Harry said calmly.

"The Ministry knows that they don't have an elite team of House Elf Commandos so it must be yours," Hermione said happily. "And they wouldn't believe me when I told them it didn't exist, they just winked and asked me to pass along their request."

"And I had thought they'd grow a little sense with Bones at the helm," Harry said sadly. "I guess some people just can't be helped."

"The Problem is that she can't surround herself with the best people in the Ministry," Becky said with a cold grin. "Because her little staff of a half dozen would strip the departments of every ounce of brainpower, it's not surprising that her clerk is a bit dull."

Omake by Keith McComb

I agree with the attitude about two Lady Azkaban. I can actually see him looking at Becky and getting her to agree with something like:

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"You know something, Becky? My upbringing simply will not permit me to take you as a mistress," Harry said to his pretty aide.

Schooling her face into impassivity, she replied, "I understand, my lord."

He smiled. "No, I don't think you do. You see, I can't possibly hurt Hermione either, because I've already said that I'd like to make her Lady Azkaban someday." He put his hand on Becky shoulder. "Besides, Hermione isn't the only one I'd be lost without." He let his hand slide over, and he brushed his thumb down her cheek, making her lean into it unconsciously. "I think I'll just have to make a new law for Azkaban, that the Lord is permitted more than one wife."

"My Lord?" she asked, startled.

"Besides, what does it say when I take a wife from outside Azkaban's shores to become Lady Azkaban, when there is a woman here who could do the job?" He smiled. "It doesn't hurt that she's more than pleasant to look at. Waking up and seeing your face every morning is something I look forward to, Becky, just like Hermione. We already seem to be acting like we're married, so why not make it  
official someday?"

"But . my Lord," she stammered, dropping her face to look at the floor. "It wouldn't be proper! I am but a lowly servant!"

He lifted her face. "I was just another wizard who had no idea of how to run a country until this pretty young lady with her book came along and helped me get an understanding of the way things work here." He laughed. "Isn't it amazing that the two women in my life who mean everything to me both find books incredibly important?"

He shook his head. "The point is that I would not be half as good at ruling if not for a certain 'lowly servant', Becky. To me, you are anything but lowly. I couldn't run this place without you. Why not do it from beside me, rather than beneath me?"

She blushed furiously for just a moment. Harry caught her eyes sparkling, and suddenly realized what she must have had run through her mind. "Later, Becky." Her eyes widened, but she shook her head. "You're not the only one who's mind can go in those directions, milady."

"I am no lady," she finally said, the blush fading. "You deserve a high-born woman as your wife."

He looked for a moment before saying to the door, "You might as well pull the Expendable Ear back, Hermione, and come on in."

The door opened to admit a blushing Hermione Granger. "Are you nobility?" he asked her.

"Not unless 'dentist' is a rank of nobility I've never heard of," she replied.

He looked in her eyes and willed her to understand what he was about to say. "Well then, I guess that our wedding will have to be cancelled, Hermione. Becky says that I can't change the laws to allow me to marry her as well because she's not nobility." He hoped that his eyes were giving her enough information.

Hermione looked at him for a moment and then became thoughtful. "Actually, I believe that you're correct. I understand having to cancel our nuptials. Shall I begin the process of finding you a suitable wife?"

Becky looked stricken. "But ."

"If you're too low-born for him, then so am I," Hermione said. She pulled the girl into a hug and whispered, "Besides, if he's willing to change the laws to marry you, I think that he'll find a way to marry you. If I have to share him, at least it's with you." She kissed the crying girl on the cheek.


End file.
